THE RATIONALE FOR, CREATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE OPEN-INFORMAL CLASSROOM Dissertation for the Degree of Ph. D. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FRANCIS SANDER BLOM 1973 LIBRARY Michigan State University nmm 1-”: v'- Q This is to certify that the thesis entitled ATHE RATIONALE FOR, CREATION, DEVELOPMENT, _AND EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF SCHOOLING WITHIN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH . SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE OPEN-INFORMAL . CLASSROOM presented by FRANCIS S. BIOM has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for __Eh.D___degree in Mary Education and Curriculum T‘ "\- E \ / r. . . a above I - ~»\-—v\ :. “v 1 V Major professor Date November 91 1973 0-7639 __'-r-— 3- .1mm: .1 BOOK BINDERY INC. 1. LIBRARY amszns I SIRINSPO!T,IICNIEA;I, m 3' :r: The Of Cultural salad. The deal With a differing 1 when a Pers The IEVisiODS’ 1 0r reViSed I and biCI-lltu one represe.‘ ABSTRACT THE RATIONALE FOR, CREATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE OPEN-INFORMAL CLASSROOM BY Francis Sander Blom The American society often viewed as a melting pot of cultural differences is in reality more of a tossed salad. The American public school finds itself having to deal with a diversity of beliefs and life styles. These differing life styles greatly influence the how, what, and when a person learns. The single monolithic K-12 structure of public schools is not responding to this diversity with curriculum revisions, modifications in teaching methods and materials, or revised operational plans. As the diversity, pluralism, and biculturalism increases, the schools continue to attempt to force all students to accept one life style, usually the one represented by tradition. But this approach leads to éiscontent, been witnes Pol lage defeat such as dr: out rates, evidence 01 of school. TV." few school 99'! is the Francis Sander Blom discontent, distrust, and lost community support as has been witnessed in many communities around the country.4 Political pressure of special interest groups, mil- lage defeats, destructive radicalism, avoidance behavior such as drug abuse, high in-school and out-of-school drop- out rates, absenteeism, and minimal compliance all give evidence of the dissatisfaction and growing meaninglessness of school. Two strategies of reform are being attempted by a few schools and school systems in the country. One strat- egy is the open-informal classroom with its emphasis on personalized learning, and the other strategy is an organi- zational structure of optional learning environments all within the public schools. Each learning environment is an option and choice for the consumer. This study deals with the rationale, development, implementation, and description of a school with optional learning environments with a special observational emphasis on the laissez-faire open-informal learning environment. Three basic learning environments are described and identified on the basis of how decisions concerning class- room activity are made. They are: autocratic, the teacher makes most teachers 51* students me in; enviror strategies decisions I peOple ref relate to . fleets mos Should and fleets pec they lam-r 16am. S: making pm is integr relateS t envimnm Since Wha envirOmm instrume Francis Sander Blom makes most of the decisions, democratic, the students and teachers share the decisions, and autonomous, where the students make most of the decisions. While all the learn- ing environments use many different teaching methods and strategies, all classrooms can be classified by the way decisions are made. Decision making processes used by people reflect their beliefs concerning others and how they relate to others. Decision making is a process that re- flects most of a person's beliefs concerning how people should and can live together. In the classroom, it re- flects people's beliefs concerning how people learn, why they learn what they do, what they learn, and when they learn. Since how a person makes or supports a decision making process reflects his beliefs concerning others, it is integrated into his life style or how he interacts and relates to other people. No deliberate effort has been made to compare the environments to determine which is better than another, since what is best for one may be poor for another. Each environment has its own purposes. But several measuring instruments were used to gather descriptive information concerning the different learning environments. It is 153'“ natural for informatio: study to b»: Test of Bas the Gates : ion survey: gather infc alternativ Francis Sander Blom natural for the reader to develop some opinions as certain information supports his bias but it is the intent of this study to be descriptive rather than evaluative. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills, The Learning Environment Inventory, the Gates MacGinitie Reading Test, student and parent opin- ion surveys, and teacher observations have been used to gather information for gaining a better understanding of alternative learning environments in a public school. In general, students enjoy the opportunity to ex- plore and discover the learning environment most suitable to their needs. Teachers are more committed to what they are doing in their learning environment. The community is more involved in the school. Students and teachers are generally happier, and the school as a service institution is consistent with our democratic heritage and political philosophy and the pluralistic nature of the society. The greatest factors influencing student achievement in the academic areas seems to lie outside of the different learning environments. The differing learning environments are more accommodating to a student's life style, pace, and approach to life than to increasing or decreasing academic achievement. During the: ticed, eval philosophi; does not h: tives contq by the eve: the commun. Th. at this scI Francis Sander.Blom This study covers a time span of three years. During these years, the environments were developed, prac- ticed, evaluated, and improved upon according to their own philosophical basis, goals, and objectives. This study does not have a real end at this point since the alterna- tives continue to exist and are constantly being renewed by the ever changing student body, staff, and members of the community. This study only pertains to the programs as offered at this school and does not describe or defend similar programs in other public or private schools. i) Depa THE RATIONALE FOR, CREATION, DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE OPEN-INFORMAL CLASSROOM BY Francis Sander Blom A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Secondary Education and Curriculum 1973 copyright FRANCIS S} 1973 Copyright by FRANCIS SANDER BLOM 1973 ii It the years and educat importance Others ; gk tiOn' adv something Barbe Pete: Dale Verl. Ken Jack Bob StEN StEt Ter: Cin. TIQ Wal R01 Bet Gr, Je Ra an ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to acknowledge my thanks to all who over the years have helped me in some way to grow as a person and educator. This partial list of names has no order of importance. All have given something, some more than others; guidance, direction, support, criticism, stimula- tion, advice, time, and love, but all gave unselfishly something of themselves. Barbara T., Karen L., Paul S., Josie F., Susan L., Peter 8., Linda L., Mike W., Jim J., Gretchen 8., Dale A., John v., Bill F., Ben H., Chuck.B., John 5., Verla C., Bob M., Glen G., Adie K., Ron R., John W., Ken 0., Shelila 8., Bob C., Ed B., Marilyn K., Jackie J., Susan F., Carol W., Phil C., Marv G., Bob D., Billy 8., Lori K., Ed M., Ralph H., Miran K., Steve L., Joel A., Phil G., Leslie H., Jan R., Anne W., Steve P., Anne B., Jean B., Karen T., Sara W., Lisa H., Teri W., Tonja A., Joe B., Amy B., Frank W., Don T., Cindy E., Alison W., Sue 3., Kirk W., Mark R., Clair D" Troy 8., Jim B., Nancy B., John C., Adele C., Gary C., walt V., Emily C., Erna H., Karen H., Libby L., Roland M., Dave M., Cindy F., Lee 8., Don W., Ike W., Bev Y., Jane Y., Bob W., Ed K., Kathy A., Phil A., Greg J., Tom H., Beth H., Susan K., Lara S., Gee G., Jeff K., Ernest M., Tom 8., Ellen F., John D., Peter 5., Ray C., Peter M., Bill H., . . . my immediate family and my Father in Heaven. iii LIST OF AP Chapter I. T:— II. I TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter I. II. THE THE PROBLEM O O O O O I O O O O 0 Introduction . . . . . . . . Prologue . . . . . . . . . . andering, Questioning, Searching. Conflict and Frustration . . . . . Letters from Students. . . . Reflections. . . . . . . . . The Problem. . . . . . . . . RATIONALE FOR ALTERNATIVES . Pluralism as the American way. Differences and the Need for Alternatives . . . . . . . From Uniformity to Diversity Alternatives in the Schools. Decision Making and Diversity. 1V Page vii ll 14 16 16 21 24 25 27 TABLE OF Chapter III . 'I IV. T] I V. p TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.) Chapter III. IV. V. THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ALTERNATIVES. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . Life-Learning Styles . . . . . . Alternatives and Strategies. . . Environment Descriptions . . . . The ''A" Environment. . . . . Predictable Student Behavior "A" Learning Environment . The "B" Environment. . . . . Predictable Student Behavior "B" Learning Environment . The "C" Environment. . . . . Predictable Student Behavior "C" Learning Environment . THE OPEN-INFORMAL CLASSROOM. . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . The School-Within-A-School . . . S.W.S. Alumni. . . . . . . . . . A Student Teacher Reacts . . . . is Not a Crisis Classroom. . RESEARCH AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA. . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . Page 30 30 32 34 35 35 40 43 46 48 50 61 61 62 75 81 83 85 85 TABLE OF C Chapter TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.) Chapter Page Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Other Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Iowa Test of Basic Skills. . . . . . . . 94 Learning Environment Inventory . . . . . 96 Gates MacGinitie Reading Tests . . . . . 99 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. . . . . . . . . . . 101 A Few Words of Advice. . . . . . . . . . 105 One Source of Public Hostility . . . . . 111 Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Some Final Questions . . . . . . . . . . 116 APPENDICES O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 118 vi Appendix LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix Page A. LETTERS TO PARENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 B. PHILOSOPHX OF THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. . . 121 C. SHULMAN REPORT TO OKEMOS BOARD OF EDUCATION. 123 D. RESULTS OF IOWA TEST OF BASIC SKILLS . . . . 136 E. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT INVENTORY AND SCORE SHEET 0 O C O C O O C C O O O O O O O 1 5 6 vii TI another m. After hell Place whe had happe When he 0 instead, under the 'I ti0n Shou of leatrni dOne in I everYday cages ma. | this 1' Sn CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM Introduction There is the old story of a man who came across another man looking for a coin under a lamp post at night. After helping hunt a while, he inquired as to the exact place where it had been dropped, and was told that this had happened out in the dark, beyond the light of the lamp. When he observed that it might be better to look out there instead, he was told that there was more light for looking under the lamp post. The central and major thrust of research in educa- tion should deal with the facilitation of or arrangement of learning in its many forms, and this search can only be done in real classrooms with real students and teachers in everyday situations. Laboratory experiments with rats in cages may help to add data to our storehouses of theory but this isn't where the learner was lost. "I cherishes guide nati search for academia,“ recent Pane meeting 1; Ir methOdO 10: and dQVe 1, its Philo Edge Idis wide to he Said, Problem (3 aetiOn; a- Of actiOr diSciplir search w: impact or direc t i ‘ 1 "If the bright young educational researcher today cherishes the notion that his work may someday be used to guide national policy, he'd better learn how to design re- search for the world of action instead of the world of academia," John Hopkins sociologist James Coleman told the recent American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in washington. "There are important and sharp differences between methodology that has as its philosophical base the testing and development of theories and a methodology that has as its philosophical base a guide to action," Coleman said. He termed research designed only to advance knowl- edge "disciplinary research" and research designed as a guide to social action "policy research." Policy research, he said, "is defined by two characteristics: the research problem originates outside the discipline in the world of action; and the research results are destined for the world of action, outside the discipline." Research questions in disciplinary research, on the other hand, arise from the search within the discipline for better theory. "Any impact on the world of action is a by-product and not of direct interest to researchers in the discipline." "C not elegar Coleman nc Newtonian based on t tion of t': tional cog where the the devial to be verj 'I Vance kno. It began by means testing. T is CIEsign of the re challengel tion. Til | \l1 1 VO‘ \ 1973 "Coming up with the right answer is what counts, not elegance of research design." As an illustration, Coleman noted two ways of aiming a cannon: one is to use Newtonian theory and calculate the expected trajectory based on the known velocity of the cannon ball, a calcula- tion of the distance to the target, and the known gravita- tional constant. The second is to shoot the cannon, see where the ball lands, and adjust the aim to compensate for the deviation. The first is an elegant method but likely to be very wrong."1 The purpose of this dissertation is both to ad- vance knowledge and to present some guidelines for action. It began over three years ago in the classroom and expands by means of continued participation, observation, and testing. The format used in the writing of this dissertation is designed to allow the reader to follow the development of the researcher's thinking as he daily encounters the challenges of the classroom and the educational institu- tion. The purpose and need for this study become evident 1Research Notes, Phi Delta Kappan, p. 489, March 1973, vo1. LIV, No. 7. in the sit essay torn Th what has I: was right that time. seventies are made 1 down the 1 things dOe being sel. Person do, Therefore dents, d Student t were a tte munity. the class in the situations and topics presented by the writer in essay form. This is not an attempt to condemn all or in part what has happened in education to this point in time. What was right in the nineteen forties may have been right for that time. The question is what is right for the nineteen seventies and nineteen eighties? While some quick glances are made in the rear view mirror, the main concerns lie down the road, over the hill, and around the curve. Every- things doesn't have to be proven. Experience has a way of being self authenticating. Yet the experience of one person does not present strong evidence for reality. Therefore, this study includes the observations of stu- dents, a study team from Michigan State University, a student teacher, and my own. Prologue Several years ago several of my students and I were attending a Middle School Conference in a local com- munity. we were there to discuss a different approach to the classroom, one which put most of the responsibility for learni teacher . addressed um stateI I've read of th have versi I can shoul don't “I Eight}; I'm pl With say. of tr Periejr Cannc| eXperl enjoE impofi Your expel futu D A with tea books b q for learning and behavior on the student rather than the teacher. At one point of the discussion a gentleman addressed himself to one of my eighth grade students with the statement: I've travelled all over this world. I've read and studied many books written by many of the great minds of the centuries. I have several degrees from colleges and uni- versities and a wealth of experiences that I can draw upon to teach you things you should know. Now you are telling me you don't want or need me as your teacher. My eighth grader paused, and then replied, I'm not saying that I shouldn't interact with you and listen to things you have to say. To completely reject the experiences of the past would be foolish. But your ex- periences are yours, they are not mine. I cannot live and learn through you. I must experience life myself, make my own mistakes, enjoy my own successes, discover what is important and meaningful to me. I can use your help in doing some of this, but your experiences cannot be the bases for my future. WOndering,Questioning, Searching Many situations with students in the classroom, with teachers in the faculty lounge, and encounters with books based on research in the fields of psychology and education, a teacher became a 3 tried, an: these que. help me u. is learni why PEOpl ing how p Order to and in t1: 6) What 5 a school we best C And 8) HCI learned d determinE This Stu; question; SOry ids! SEarchin' moments , COrded i education,helped me to question my beliefs and behavior as a teacher insa public school. This period of questioning became a period of growth as I wondered, examined, searched, tried, and discovered new answers to old problems. Some of these questions I still wrestle with and offer to others to help me understand. Some of these questions are: 1) What is learning? 2) What assumptions can we make concerning why people learn? 3) What assumptions can we make concern- ing how people learn? 4) What must all people learn in order to survive or cope with our culture and society now and in the distant future? 5) Why do schools exist? 6) What should happen to a child from the time he enters a school until the time he leaves a school? 7) How can we best organize to implement the purposes of the school? and 8) How can we best determine whether or not a child has learned during his experience at school and how can we best determine the efficacy of our role in this experience? This study does not attempt to answer systematically these questions but they are included to give the reader a cur- sory idea of the kinds of questions that have guided my searching for several years. Some of the situations, moments of questioning, and times of frustration are re- corded in the following essays. Ir. precedes t There are can't ider Several ye feelings I my Classrc tween the for Studel as peOPIe. tutionIs 1 needs as a t‘vIEen the 0:) me by 4 If Studenl behal’ior 0f expeCt Of what t dicatEQ 0| I Conflict and Frustration In life, understanding on a feelings level often precedes understanding on an intellectual or rational level. There are times when we feel something is wrong but we can't identify a theoretical model to explain the Situation. Several years ago as a two year veteran in education, my feelings preceded theory. I felt something was wrong with my classroom. There seemed to be a constant conflict be- tween the institutionally defined roles and expectations for students and their individual personalities and needs as people. As a teacher I felt conflict between the insti- tution's needs as defined by the administrators and my needs as an individual. I saw and daily felt conflict be- tween the students and myself. As pressures were placed on me by the institution, I passed them on to the students. If students didn't score high enough on standardized achievement tests, I was in trouble with the school. To insure or try to insure an upswing on the chart, student behavior had to be manipulated and controlled to the extent of expecting predictable behavior or test results. So much of what the school was asking me to do seemed to be pre- dicated on the belief that the schools are the molding agents fo submit to be accept problems as the ch tions. T lens coul grammed a egllities, fGEIings , istrator ence, Wit Problems many atte it in the and tOOk 500k was agents for society and all students come to school ready to submit to some preconceived plan of what they should be to be acceptable in a few years to the society. If there were problems in the society, then the schools were looked upon as the change agents and problem solver for future genera- tions. There seemed to be the belief that all future prob- lems could be solved if the youngsters of today are pro- grammed and engineered in ways that would eliminate in- equities, but we were not allowed to deal with values or feelings. The school community, parents, teachers, and admin- istrators seemed to be obsessed with the religion of sci- ence, with unshakable faith in its ability to solve all problems with time, money, and controls. But there were many attendant evils in this process that, as I observed it in the classroom, denatured man's personal experience and took the mystery and sacredness out of life. Letters from Students In the first school I taught, every Friday my plan- book was to be left on the principal's desk before I went home at t next wee}: fully ent methods t 0f good 5|I brought . minds. 1 Seventh, 0f many . Dear Itw step 0the thin 0the abOu Inst smOR tie home at three fifteen. The planbook had to contain the next week's goals and objectives. Each day I would faith- fully enter the classroom with plans in hand and the methods to motivate. But while I brought the principles of good spelling to the arena of learning, many students brought their own agenda. They had other things on their minds. Here are some letters written to me by sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students that are representative of many of the important concerns many students have. Dear Mr. Blom: I went to my father's wedding reception. It was pretty bizzar. I've now got two stepbrothers, neat huh? One is two and the other is twelve. It was really weird to think that my father is married to a woman other than my mom. My mom doesn't say much about it. I'm sure you know that I smoke dope. I just thought I'd tell ya. Although I'm not smoking for a couple months, I'm going to return next Fall, maybe. If I feel I want it. My feelings about God are all mixed up. Maybe you could help. I think I believe in God, but I'm not sure. I'm terrified of dying. I say I believe in God, but can you help? Mr. Blom: Help! I am a forgotten person. No one wants to remember me at all. I am kind of tied between the unworking interesting peopl I wal to th could the e tenda out t nice treat rotte as trl from Dear Peep: and hall; mOrn; with ins. dent any and I 9e Past and One? p80; friE dOn WQr: tear dOw: at. Say log the The and tha his 0f FQQ 10 people and the working dull people. Like if I walk into gym late, then I have to walk up to the teacher and tell him. This way I could skip and no one would ask about me till the end of the hour when they check the at- tendance list. I mean when a few people find out that Linda was my sister, they are real nice to me for about two hours. Later they treat me like a rat. I never did anything rotten to them. Most people hate me as soon as they find out I am completely different from Linda. Dear Mr. Blom: I look around this school and I see young people, I hate the words students and children and teachers, walking aimlessly around the halls. They have a pattern. Get up in the morning, go to school to get educated, gossip with their friends, practice their cheerlead- ing, go home and go to the game. Their stu- dent government is encouraged but not given any real authority or power. I look around and I see puppet relationships. The feeling I get is that they don't even know each other past their name, age, address, phone number, and classes. But is that really knowing some- one? Another feeling I get is that alot of people only care about themselves, their friends, school, and football team. They don't seem to care about the world, their world and what's happening to it. A few teachers I know just try to cram information down you and some people can't grasp it all at once. And then the teacher fails you and says you haven't been listening, without even looking at themselves. WOrst of it is that they don't even try to know their students. They feel that all young people are the same and they should all be able to learn the way they teach. All the math and science and history in the world isn't going to do a bit of good if you can't get along with other people. Dear In and f slow this real to t‘ thin prob Withl take; home tion YES etic and be uniq; 0f MethC write ls LEach a: include» tion: a: 11 Dear Mr. Blom: Sometimes I think this year is going fast and then sometimes I think it's going very slow. I went to Mr. Ellison's poetry seminar this week. I think he is really fun. He really changed my ideas about poetry. I used to think it was boring. I don't anymore. The tests weren't hard, but the same things were repeated so much. I mean so many problems of the same kind. Glad it's over with. My mother is in Minnisota. My dad and I take care of the meals. It depends on who's home first. Reflections Sometime during my undergraduate teacher prepara- tion years I was told that everyone was different. Gen- etic and socio-economic inheritances caused everyone to be unique. People were not robots. Then the professor of Methods of Teaching 304 went on to teach us how to write lesson plans for the subject and class we were to teach as student-practicing teachers. These lesson plans included the objectives, a means or method of implementa- tion, an evaluative procedure, anticipated student re- sponses, and a list of materials needed for the educational experienc ing I was text app: of thirt; __f —— the pred: generati: bility o havior b all know now: and night I for the of edUCa to mold tical a: the fut everYOn 12 experience. I was well trained. On my first job in teach- ing I was handed several texts, they were using a "multi- text approach," and the required curriculum, five classes of thirty students each, and went to work trying to insert the predetermined experiences and knowledge into the new generation. Teaching was not an easy job. I had the responsi- bility of making all the decisions concerning student be- havior both now and twenty years from now, what they must all know for future success in life also twenty years from now, and what each student was doing at all times. Each night I would spend a minimum of two hours of preparation for the next school day. As agent of the state, the board of education, and the community, I had the responsibility to mold these youngsters into a life style that was prac- tical and useful economically to both the community and the future wage earner. Using huge doses of external control, I taught everyone how to be passive, other-directed, and a con- formist. Personality was suppressed with an ever thicken- ing book of student rules and regulations. Individuality was overcome with departmental achievement expectations. The stude parative A teachir over his to be fi tions bu‘ their ti: instruct work at ized lei to 358i: that was all Stu; achiev€ and Whit prOgreS needs w ren mite sh0u1d 13 The students did not feel oppressed. Oppression is a com- parative state and these students had nothing to compare. A teaching colleague displayed his educational philosophy over his chalkboard: "A student's mind is an empty vessel to be filled." Some students learned under these condi- tions but many didn't. Many students were just serving their time, playing "school." Occasionally there were attempts to “individualize instruction." This meant that each student was allowed to work at his own pace. No one ever discussed "individual- ized learning" or personalized learning. All students had to assimilate the same material. The time variable was all that was altered. Of course in the spring of each year, all students were required to take a timed standardized achievement test which tested how quickly one could work and which confirmed what we already knew from the student progress cumulative folders. I've yet to find a student that didn't live down to his cumulative folder. There was never a time the community, administra- tion, or staff discussed what a child was like, what his needs were, what motivated him, what experiences all child- ren must have for survival in our society, and why do or should schools exist at all? differen‘ hadn't d 14 If students, all people in general, were really all different, the school with its community of educators hadn't discovered it yet. The Problem After several years in the classroom, I was able to identify the problem and being to search for an answer. The ill feelings I was originally experiencing in the classroom could now be translated into intelligent under- standing and thinking. I was different than other teachers in the building and they in turn were all different from each other. Yet, everyone was expected to make a big effort to be alike, to be consistent, to conform to some undefined code of conduct and teaching methods. The stu- dents were also all different. Each came to school every day with his own blueprint for growth tucked under his arm and I had to make them put it away and look at the school's blueprint. We had one for all the students in the seventh grade. We also had one for all the students in the eighth grade. we even had one for teachers. 1) people heritance ing life- tinue to intolera: like the: Pluribus 15 The problem can be described with three dimensions: 1) people are all different, having different genetic in- heritances, cultural and religious orientations and differ- ing life-learning styles; 2) society and organizations con- tinue to demand conformity, and 3) most people are usually intolerant of people who do not believe, look, or behave like they do. In summary, our problem seems to be "E pluribus unum“ (to make one out of many). EXpre diver CHAPTER II THE RATIONALE FOR ALTERNATIVES Pluralism as the American Way "America the land of the free" has to many been an expression of an unrealized ideal. Freedom encourages diversity not conformity. Perhaps the best way to get a feeling for the strategy American society has traditionally adopted for handling diversity is to listen to one of the victims of that strategy: Growing up in America has beeh an assault upon my sense of worthiness. It has also been a kind of liberation and delight. I am born of PIGS--those Poles, Italians, Greeks, and Slavs, non-English—speaking immi- grants, numbered so heavily among working men of this nation. Not particularly liberal, nor radical, born into a history not white Anglo- Saxon and not Jewish--born outside what in America is considered the intellectual main- stream. And thus privy to neither power nor status nor intellectual voice. All my life, I have been made to feel a slight uneasiness when I must say my name. Under the challenge in grammar school con- cerning my nationality, I had been instructed by my fathertx>announce proudly: "American." 16 1? Nowhere in my schooling do I recall an attempt to put me in touch with my own history. The strategy was clearly to make an American of me. English literature, American litera- ture, and even the history books, as I recall them, were peopled mainly by Anglo-Saxons from Boston (where most historians seemed to live). Not even my native Pennsylvania, let alone my Slovak forebears, counted for very many paragraphs. I don't remember feeling envy or regret: a feeling, perhaps, of unimr portance, of remoteness, of not having heft enough to count. The fact that I was born a Catholic also complicated life. What is a Catholic but what everybody else is in reaction against? Pro- testants reformed “the whore of Babylon," others were "enlightened" from it, and Jews had reason to help Catholicism and the social Vstructures it was rooted into fall apart (dur- ing crucial years I attended a public, not a parochial school). To be modern is decidedly not to be medieval; to be reasonable is not to be dogmatic; to be free is clearly not to live under ecclesiastical authority; to be scientific is not to attend ancient rituals, cherish irrational symbols, indulge in mythic practices. It is hard to grow up Catholic in America without becoming defensive, perhaps a little paranoid, feeling forced to divide the world between "us" and "them." Those are the words of Michael Novak writing in Harper's (September 1971). Novak speaks of how America has handled her ethnic and religious diversity, the basis for all diversity in life-learning styles. Who would enjoy going to an art museum only to find all the paintings the same. There is a certain h—- desiral the ma: ing to and no- theism Prefer other be mad of the with Q on our establ I'm Su dQVQ t I tive C theis‘ SQCiet as oft 18 desirability in diversity. Yet, American history records the massive efforts to amagamate human differences. One must reflect on the efforts made, and continu- ing to be made for a sacred or sacral society. In subtle and not so subtle ways, the culture gives preference to theism over nontheism. And historically it has given preference to mainline Protestant Christianity over all other versions of theism. Persistent efforts continue to be made to re-establish theistic devotions at the beginning of the public school day. Legislative sessions are opened with official prayers and "In God We Trust“ still appears on our money. These feeble and discriminatory attempts at establishing and maintaining a theocracy are indefensible. I'm sure God is not impressed with this forced pseudo devotion. These efforts do not reflect a Christian perspec- tive of justice and the absence of diScrimination. No true theist would support inequity of opportunity in civil society. But before we hastily support a neutral or secular society, one must also examine its purposes. Secularism as often practiced by the courts, government, and schools also beco' schools is go beggir pay a do: and one must pay concerni the publ ing, dis Concern: mitting their b: adoPts i 50m. alternS ture a: indivi: relivi. 19 also becomes highly discriminatory. Parochial and private schools with religious orientated educational philosophies go begging for financial support because the parents must pay a double school assessment: one for the public schools and one for the private tuition. Is this the price one must pay for liberty of choice? Creationism, as a theory concerning the origin of the universe has been banned in the public school classroom. Yet, this is selective teach- ing, discriminating against a presentation of all theories concerning the origins of life. The secularists are com- mitting the same errors as the theists in trying to impose their biases and life-styles on all people. Each group adopts the label of "American" and requires that all con- form. Not to do so is to be “un-American" and thus an undesirable. Is there another option? Is there a genuine al- ternative to a sacral or neutral society? Yes. The alternative is a pluralistic society--a society that treats its citizens in its public policies, legal struc- ture and institutions, impartially with respect to their individual differences, life-learning styles, ethnic and religious heritages. Only such a society would eliminate the op; such a express Only $1 nondis< thing 1 Oblectj be Sue; Prefers give pr HCQd a has tri frEedort nation 20 the oppressiveness of our sacral or secular society. Only such a society would give equal rights to all citizens to express their philosophical convictions as they see fit. Only such a society would be fully just and equitable and nondiscriminatory. This does not support the concept that says any- thing that can be thought of is legitimate. A group with objectives to destroy a pluralistic society would have to be suppressed. But forbidding this position does not give preference to some other group over this one. It does give preference to many groups with valid differences which need a pluralistic structure to exist. America as a melting pot seems to be failing. It has tried this concept at the expense of justice, and freedom. It must now turn its attention to becoming a nation of nations. A nation of differences. A nation where a person is free to become what he wants to become. It would be better if the schools as service institutions would reflect the concept of pluralism, allowing for dif- fering life and learning styles, allowing people to be different. This would become the "American Way." Schools that are monolithic in their educational approach are by their very nature of operation teaching a life s is onl confor cultur crimir will I ferer There 96nc. life Call 910w SOcj inVE valt “he: 21 life style that supports discrimination. It teaches there is only one way for all and those who cannot or will not conform are viewed as inferior, rebellious, or counter- culture. If the nature of the school is to promote dis- crimination, all efforts to integrate for whatever reason, will be useless and filled with frustration. Differences and the Need for Alternatives Children born of the same parents have many dif- ferences. Even identical twins differ in hundred of ways. There are physical differences, ability, talent, intelli- gence, motivational, socio-economic, experimental, and life style differences. We are all born unequal geneti- cally. Inequality is not only natural and inborn, it grows with the complexity of civilization. There are hereditary inequalities which breed social and artificial inequalities. Every time someone invents some new thing or discovers a new idea or solves a perplexing problem, he runs the risk of becoming more valuable to the society and his neighbor. He may become unequal in popularity or wealth. Economics specializes functions ities. 1 men free Differen: each per special exactly tion of Perceive teach a1 dIVersii learninf enCes a refleCt virOMe able 1e mAnner ' stYle. Can eX' Years q 22 functions, differentiates abilities, and causes inequal- ities. Freedom and equality are natural enemies. Leave men free, and inequalities and differences will abound. Differences are human, and demand recognition. Because each person is unique with his own needs, abilities, and special contributions, all people do not learn best with exactly the same learning conditions. Learning is a func- tion of the learner as he chooses to interact with his perceived environment. There is no one best way to to teach all people. Differences and inequalities demand diversity. It would be better if schools, as institutions of learning for all children, would recognize these differ- ences and develop programs that individualize learning and reflect this perspective. Schools can offer learning en- vironment alternatives for all its clientele. With avail- able learning alternatives a youngster can learn in a manner that is consistent with his learning needs and life style. With several alternatives in the same building, he can experience other alternatives during the mandatory years of school experience. n I. ‘N'"\_ '7" .3 and teac‘: to force does not recogniz using th t50 play with the do is b act and Peeple method c and beha recein iehced use beh regard; the Che 23 Teachers also have many differences both as people and teachers. An administrator or school system that tries to force all teachers to teach with one specific approach does not show that individual dignity or respect. By not recognizing their characteristics as humans, the system is using them as trained servants. People who are required to play roles and exhibit behavior that is inconsistent with their beliefs never do it well. The best a person can do is be himself. This does not mean that he cannot inter- act and encounter others,1earn and change. But often people will be asked and required to adopt a teaching method or style that is inconsistent with their beliefs and behavior. The required change is not done well and receives minimal or non-compliance. This has been exper- ienced in schools where everyone is forced to write and use behavioral objectives or to individualize instruction regardless of their beliefs or understanding concerning the change. The human differences in the life styles, values, needs, and perceptions of teachers will lead to differing teaching styles and learning environments. Stu- ‘dent learning and life styles and teachers' teaching styles can be matched by the joint efforts of the students, teache commun other any 01 opinic the o: helps test best way c egies an at 24 teachers, administrating and counseling staff, and the community. This does not require cognative mapping or other similar tests. A student must not be locked into any of the alternatives because of testing or an "expert's" opinion. The community, teachers, and students will have the opportunity to select the learning environment that helps them best. They will also have the opportunity to test themselves in other environments. If there is one best way to teach all students in all schools, it is the way of learning environment alternatives open to all. The spectrum of learning environments and strat- egies can range from a dictatorial training approach to an autonomous organismic approach to the classroom. From Uniformity to Diversity There are many alternatives the public schools can offer the community and its students. These alternatives can take many forms. There are Schools without Walls, mini-schools or schools within schools, drop-in or drop- out centers, satellite schools, schools for racial or ethnic groups and vocational and career centered schools. and learr optiuunn l teaming , multi-ag¢ tion, mi} Elective Sources, egies, 1 sophica alt-Etna 0f in- tense learr avai make whet tha 25 Within the structure of these schools, the educator and learner has many strategies available to create the optimum learning environment and conditions. There is teaming, flexible schedule, open classroom, core curriculum, multi-age grouping, independent study, programmed instruc- tion, mini-courses, group counseling, crisis classrooms, elective courses, gaming-simulation, and community re- sources. This list is not exhaustive. All of the strat- egies, however, can only be used from three basic philo- sophical alternatives. This study deals with those three alternatives. Alternatives in the Schools Democracy, as a life style, implies the freedom of individual choices. The American public schools have tended to be monolithic in methods and approaches to learning. In a democratic society, options should be available in education so that parents and children can make choices concerning what they do, how they do it, when they are to do it, and why they are doing it. Not that diversity is automatically good, but that forced uni- lformity is extremely negative. tional a content- centere; dancers native orienta All can being f become of the each 1. There SChOol The SC and a1 learni doctor muSt . And t:— 26 Let parents have a choice from a variety of educa- tional alternatives. The traditionalist can choose a content-centered classroom, those interested in a child- centered approach could choose an open-informal classroom, dancers, painters, and photographers can choose an alter- native for the graphic and performing arts, and craft- orientated students can choose a vocational alternative. All can share common facilities and resource people. It would be better for some school boards to stop being filters of what is good or bad for everybody and become facilitators in meeting the diverse learning needs of the community. What seems to be most needed is an opportunity for each learner to personalize his own learning blueprints. There cannot be one blueprint for all people unless the schools are preparing youngsters for a totalitarian state. The schools have a responsibility to provide young people and all the people in the community with the resources for learning but not necessarily in a prescribed way. The doctor can provide the advice and counsel but the smoker must initiate and commit himself to a method for withdrawal. And there are many ways to quit smoking but each method WW1 must be must be sory at once SE Th th able Sta: file pE¢ Pr 27 must be initiated by a personal commitment and need. It must be meaningful or it won't work. we can have compul- sory attendance but never compulsory learning. Daniel Bovet, the Nobel Prize-winning biochemist once said, The greatest catastrophe of our society is that it does not welcome a great number of temperaments . . . . My father used to say that people think more of their children's feet than of their brains since they pick shoes according to the size of their feet but send them all to the same school. Decision Making and Diversity One important prerequisite to building alternative learning environments in schools is to develop an equit- able decision making process for the administration and staff. The decision making process used in a school re- flects how the people in that school feel about each other. A vertical autocratic decision making model says that most people do not have valid contributions to the solving of problems and the development of school policy. It indi- cates a distrust of people's ability to identify problems, find so democra of peopl differ: equitab t0 elir Vide a: Divers; SChool are in 28 find solutions, and assume responsibilities. A horizontal democratic decision making process takes an opposite view of people. It says people do have differences and these differences are valid and contribute greatly to the solu- tion of problems. It says that negotiation is a more equitable process than dictation. Democratic decision making models do not attempt to eliminate conflict or differences, but rather to pro- vide an effective and orderly way to cope with diversity. Diversity, be it in a society or an organization like a school, and vertical autocratic decision making processes are incompatible. Each group that wants to recognize and support the concepts of differences and diversity must find a decision making approach that leaves room for differing ideologies yet enables support to emerge for common causes. People who trust each other can do this. In a school, an administrator plays a key role in establishing a climate for trust and diversity. Adminis- trators can recognize and allow people to be different. He can capitalize on this diversity of strengths to develop a shared responsibility for what happens in a school. the pro_ Curricu be gene The ads dents c Viduali fails decis; in th othea he!“ 29 Curriculum, budgets, and student learning environments can be generated by staff, with staff by the very nature of the process, committed to its own decisions and policies. The administrator becomes a facilitator. In schools where teachers can be different, stu- dents can be different. Often, teachers are told to indi- vidualize their approaches to students, but the principal fails to individualize his approach to the staff. Show me how an institution or organization makes decisions, and I will have a good idea of how the people in that organization feel or are made to feel about each other. A person's beliefs are tied up in the decisions he makes, and the way in which he makes them. . 04!...“ hi . . . .. .. has in mun pee and bac m th Pe 3! me a: CHAPTER III THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ALTERNATIVES Introduction Anyone who has traveled in and out of this country has experienced the many diverse life styles of the people in different parts of the world. Even within a given com- munity or city, one can find differing life styles. Some people choose to have highly manicured lawns, rock gardens, and heated swimming pools. Others choose to stock their back yards with rusting pieces of old cars, a weathered house exterior, and a never extinguished trash barrel. In the same way, people have differing approaches to other people. Some are trustful, others are distrustful. Some are polite and mannerly, others are obnoxious, loud, de- meaning, and dictatorial. Others are anti-social, secluded, and in general keep to themselves. This is not an attempt to stereotype people but only to illustrate the differing approaches or life styles people exhibit in their behavior everyday. These differing life approaches are governed by 30 31 needs, beliefs, values, and rules people have established for themselves to maintain and protect their life styles. Tradition, cultural heritages, and societal pres- sures influence people's life-learning styles. Many people who immigrated to the U.S.A. in past eras brought with them autocratic life styles that couldn't be changed when they passed the statue of liberty. Industry has greatly influ- enced how people approach life, each other, and the world in which they live. Similarly, people have differing learning styles. Life and learning are inseparable. To live is to learn. Some live-learn under pressure and external demands. Others live-learn more informally under relaxed conditions, often generating continuing motivation and intensity from within. Schools are people: students, teachers, custodians, administrators, and other service personnel. People treat others in one of three possible ways: autocratically, democratically, or non-directively, allowing for individual autonomy. This chapter deals with the three alternative learning environments which are basic to all classrooms. It is into 1 a cila: great! The 1e as a In W the Master inform approv, havior °rgani. ing an, Standa; 32 It is probably the learning style that a child incorporates into his life style more than anything else that happens in a classroom. greater impact than what the teacher says. A The learner is viewed as a mind to be molded by the expert teacher. Mastery of factual information. Adult approval for all be- havior. Systematic organization of teach- ing and learning. Standardized testing. Authoritarian, Dicta- torial, Autocratic External , Other Controlled Expectations-Rules Regulations Learning Theory Stimulus-Response Training Mental Discipline Conditioning Drill Memorization After all, Life-Learning Styles B The teacher's task is one of engaging the- student‘s interest through group planned experiences. The stu- dent is given encour- agement, aid, direc- tion in searching for solutions. Learning by doing, a recogni- tion of student needs, interests, and exper- iences. Using knowl- edge rather than ab- sorbing it. Democratic, Consensus, Compromise Group Externally Controlled Laws, Expectations Learning Theory Stimulus-Response Training Mental Discipline Conditioning Discovery- Memorization it is what he lives which has a C All knowing and truth arrived at by knowing, is individual and sub- jective. Man deter- mines by conscious choice to accept or reject knowledge per- ceived on the basis of his own experience. Self knowledge is a key to all knowledge. Autonomy Internal, Self Control values, Needs, Conscience Self established goals Learning Theory Organismic Natural Unfoldment Perceptual Field Stimulus-Perception- Response Discovery- Internalization Transn edge O “‘0‘ Tea: Exterr Thrc Studs: Li ,‘I Some l CORfO Empha Scien Langu Compe Teach decis Behav Rea and aut res Slow Of tr ProdL Upon dent ‘ v lnskl A Transmission of Knowl- edge Knowledge-Curriculum- Teacher-Learner External Motivation Threats , Rewards Student Passive Some Options Conformity Enphasis on Math, Science, History, Language, Competition Teacher makes the decisions Behavioral engineering Reality is as defined and perceived by the authority-power rep- resentative Slow to Change People Meet the Needs of the institution Product Orientation Acceptance contingent upon ability of stu- dent to adhere to the institution's stand— ards 33 B Transmission of Knowl- edge Knowledge Learner Group Teacher External-Internal Motivation. Group Expectations. Rewards, Goals, Values, Needs Student Active Selected Options Group teacher Defined standards Emphasis on group decision making, agreement, basic skills Teacher and Students make the decisions Group Guided Consensus Reality is as de- fined and perceived by the group Recognizes and allows change if group agrees People meet the needs of the group and in- stitution Process-Product Orientation Some acceptance of individual differences C Experience Inference Knowledge Learner Facilitator Internal Motivation Natural Growth, Needs, Values , Curiosity, Interest Student Active Many Options Individuality encour- aged. Emphasis on knowledge of self, individual decision making, dependency on total environment, Values Student makes most decisions Personal Meaning, In- sight Reality is as perceived by the individual learner Understands Change as a natural-ongoing process Institutions and en- vironments meet the needs of people Process Orientation Education is a pro- cess not an end product Acceptance .‘1 n r. F. '4- I. . 9' "E ! I Lav—1 Life-Lea Teacher The teac all the cerning how, and Student carried Shared Student the res why. w}. learnin is a s1: teacherl Alternatives and Strategies Life-Learning Styles "A" Teacher Directed The teacher makes nearly all the decisions con- cerning the why, what, how, and when of learning. Student evaluation is carried out by the teacher. "B" Shared Decisions Students and teachers share the responsibility for the why, what, how, and when of learning. Student evaluation is a shared process between teacher and student. Methods Teaming Interdisciplinary Traditional Time Block of Time Self Contained Classroom Continuous Progress Gmwmgmuammm) Multi-age Ability Interest Achievement Flexible Schedule Modular Rotating Variable Time Daily Demand Group Counseling Behavior Modification School-Within-A-School Open-Informal Team Self Contained Laissez Faire Mini School Independent Study Programmed Instruction Unipacs Computer Assisted Mini Courses Satelite School Store Front School Crisis Classroom Elective Courses 3,6,9 weeks Distributive Education vocational Educational School for the Arts Ad Hock Student Government Community Resources Sensitivity Groups ‘fe S tuc The: the the when eval by t shar frie ic sc b: d! 35 Life Learning_Styles "C II Student.Directed The student makes most of the decisions concerning the why, what, how, and when of learning. Student evaluation is carried on by the student which is shared with his parents and friends. Methods Gaming-Simulation Differentiated Staffing Conceptual Approaches Core Curriculum Activity Programs during the day Assemblies Student Presentations Professional Entertainment Religious Oriented Schools Environment Descriptions To more clearly describe the three basic philosoph- ical alternatives, as they might appear and operate in a school, broad, perhaps exaggerated generalizations. this section will describe the environments in Exaggeration and vivid language is used to accentuate the differences and more clearly show the contrast. The environment descriptions and many of the predictable behaviors are based on real situations experienced and observed by me as a teacher in several public schools. The "1113' Environment By universal agreement, the ideal class size is twenty-five students to one teacher. At the elementary 36 level, the students generally stay with one teacher all day. On the junior-and senior high school levels, students usually meet with several teachers starting the day with a "homeroom" and moving every fifty minutes to meet with a- different teacher. Every course meets the same number of hours every week and yields one "credit point" in whatever the subject is called. These blocks of time are called "Carnegie units" named after the famous industrialist, Andrew Carnegie, who greatly influenced the organization of education around 1915. Usually on the high school level, a student is required to study English for three or four years, two or three years of social studies, and one or two years of mathematics and science. The primary purpose of the "A" environment is to motivate students to acquire and retain information that will help ensure success at some future time in their life. Besides the transference of knowledge concerning history, mathematics, language, and science, cultural norms, customs, and traditions are transmitted to the new generation. The teacher having studied in college in some specific subject area is seen as a specialist in that subject area and is basically responsible for the student and what he learns. 37 A student is expected to assimilate and internalize spe- cific concepts and bodies of knowledge before moving on to the next grade. At the next grade the curriculum sequence is continued starting where the previous teacher finished the year before. Among the instructional tools available to the teacher is the "basic textbook." Usually each student is given one in each of the academic areas. In the secondary school and especially on the college level they tend to weigh upwards of three to four pounds each, contributing to the student's physical development as he carries them around. There are teacher's manuals with almost all these textbooks enabling the teacher to give a daily performance with minimal hesitation. In addition to the book, the teacher has a blackboard and chalk and the students are supplied with pencils, pens, and lined paper. Most teachers require the student to have loose leaf notebooks, not spiral bound, in which to record and file notes on what happens in class. Sometimes these notes are taken directly from the blackboard. Some teachers use several different colors of chalk but discourage student use of colored pencils or pens. Red ink and pencil is usually 38 reserved for teacher use. In some rooms, maps are posi- tioned on the walls and most unfold and retract like window shades. Some can be pulled down easily by finger but others require a specially made pole. When a teacher really wants to put something across to the class, he tends to rely on the oldest of instructional devices: his own voice. Another instructional tool or method is homework. Homework consists of teacher made assignments which are to be worked on and completed at home. Ideally, this completes the day's work or prepares the student for a future class assignment. Sometimes it serves as a sup- plemental activity to the classroom. Teachers, guided by board of education approved curriculum, control the how, what, when, where, and why of learning or what happens in the classroom. The students assume passive roles so that they do not interfere with the pace, sequence, or intentions of the teacher. Teachers pass judgment on everything from assessment of each stu- dent's ability potential to bladder and bowel evacuation. In the "A" environment, teachers utilize stimulus- response and training approaches to learning. The teacher presents predetermined quantities of information and the 39 student is expected to respond in a manner that indicates it has changed his behavior in a teacher accepted way. When this learning or change has occurred, the student is rewarded in some way and the teacher proceeds on to the next lesson. At the end of this process, usually after thirteen years, the student receives a diploma certifying his attendance over the years and the successful completion of the required courses. Some teachers initiate, at least to them and some students, exciting and interesting activities in the class- room with the intent that students, being exposed to this experience, will learn the required information and the style in which it was learned. Some students learn in this environment and are able to fulfill their needs for achieve- ment, peer recognition, and social stratification. For some, the competitive climate encourages further striving and advancement. This environment is not for all students and all teachers. It seems to operate best when it is an optional environment chosen by student, parent, and teacher. 40 Predictable Student Behavior in the "A" Learning Environment In the "A" environment there is a high dependency on the teacher to organize, direct, and maintain the moti- vation for an activity. Usually, if the teacher leaves the room, students stop doing the teacher's task and begin to socialize, compare notes, agitate others, relax, and in general, enjoy a reprieve until the teacher returns. At any given moment of the class period, many students are engaged in personal or group activities far removed from what the teacher is doing or directing the class to do. The students communicate by whispering, passing notes, or hand signals. Some students bring little toys to class to play with during the fifty minute period. Some examples would be: rubberbands, paper clips, combs, small rubber balls, pocket knives, matches, washers, small tops, springs, etc. Boys will sometimes return to the class from the water fountain with a mouthful of water or at least making it appear so. Students, when entering the room, are expected to find a seat, theirs if one is assigned, and wait passively until told to do something. ten to si) lei ta1 tee am CO] Pa] ar. whl tw; 501' 0n is 41 Students who are all of one grade and age level tend to model behavior for each other. Sixth graders tend to act like sixth graders when they are around only other sixth graders. In classrooms with mixed ages and grade levels, students have different behavioral models to imi- tate and often emulate those who are older. When a student first enters an "A" environment, he usually is quiet and passive as he takes the first few days to determine the teacher's strengths and weaknesses. After a short interim, some students will begin to test the teacher's stated parameters for purposes of clarification and possible modification. A determination is usually made concerning where to put one's name on the paper, how long papers must be, what books have to be read, how many cuts are allowed and in general what pleases the teacher and what disturbs the teacher. All instructions are repeated twice and often dittoed for future reference. Students at some point, some the first day, decide to mentally compete, .maintain for a c grade, or drop out. Most assignments given by the teacher are worked on and completed the day before they are due. If a paper is due on the tenth, it is usually written on the ninth. Quizze before ing as cause are d Other compe. tion it do makin the c uate, gate lOWir 42 Quizzes, tests, and exams are prepared for on the night before since retention and recall are known to be as fleet- ing as the morning mist. Many students are happy in the "A" environment be- cause it provides them with security and the assurance they are doing the right activities that lead to a diploma. Others enjoy this environment because it offers them a competitive arena where they succeed and gain the recogni- tion all humans need. Others like this environment because it does not require any moral judgments or require decision making which would run the risk of mistake or failure. As the college graduate, ex-marine officer, law school grad- uate, ex-F.B.I. agent and convicted burglar in the Water- gate investigations said to the Senator, "I was only fol- lowing orders." It is fairly predictable that in the "A" environ- ment, girls will achieve at a higher level and have more acceptable behavior than the boys throughout the elementary and junior high years. It is also predictable that certain students will always erase the boards, adjust the windows, run errands for the teacher, and bring an Avon product to the teacher at Christmas time. 43 Most students in the "A" environment look forward to the end of the school year and the teachers do to. It symbolizes the completion or ending to learning for the year. "No more papers, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks." The "B” Environment The "B" environment is basically a democratic learning environment. It is based on a belief that it is better for people to have a process by which they can work for common and individual good and seek to protect the in- terests of all pe0ple, or members of a group, through joint responsibility and control. Advocates of this en- vironment also believe it is impossible for an individual to experience personal freedom until he has gained an understanding of himself as he relates to a total unit. This unit is as large as the universe and as small as any group of people with which he is working. Until the param- eters of that group are defined, the individual has no choice whether he will work within those parameters, will work to change those parameters, or will reject them en- tirely. Students in this environment are encouraged to 44 try to change procedures that they feel are not meaningful by means of the democratic process rather than by total rejection of the group. To work effectively in any group, members must understand that each individual in the group is an impor- tant component of the total unit. This means that a large portion of time must be spent exploring the contributions that each member can make to a specific task. Usually in the "B" environment, the group deter- mines the curriculum to be experienced and the norms for behavior. The group must develop a “we-ness" or positive group feeling to function best. Consensus and compromise are important dimensions of this environment. Once a process for establishing and renewing group parameters, goals, and expectations is developed and accepted by all, the "B" environment can be very much like the "A" or "C" environments. Teachers can be called upon to be dispensers of knowledge or learning facilitators. The group must continually evaluate what is happening and reprocess their goals and expectations. There are problems with the democratic environment if a teacher has a "hidden" agenda for the group. (This 45 can also be a problem in the "A" and "C" environments.) This approach often breeds distrust between the group and the teacher. Using this environment, teachers will find that while they have influence, suggestions, voting and veto power, many decisions will be different than they anticipate. Because some schools see this as an erosion of control, they do not allow the “B“ environment to exist. Another problem with this environment is that one hundred percent commitment on the part of everyone in the group is an unreality. There will always be a few who refuse to make suggestions, or commitments, or take the whole deci- sion making process responsibly. It would be best if these students had another environment in which to live and learn, an environment more supportive of their life-learning style. The "B" environment can be organized with a team of teachers, a block of time, and many students, or it can function with one teacher and the universally accepted optimum of twenty-five students. The "B" or democratic environment is not for every- body. There are people who want and need more autonomy than is allowable by a group. There are others who are more comfortable with autocratic procedures. 46 A teacher and school staff can support democratic decision making in a learning environment only when they truly believe all people are capable of making valid con- tributions to the process. They must also believe that to explore, trust, and enjoy the infinite possibilities in relationships with other people is a learning experi- ence that deserves a high priority in the schools. Predictable Student Behavior in the "B" Learning Environment The “B“ learning environment may be very much like the "A” or "C" environment depending on how the students and teachers decide to organize for learning. However, some general behaviors are predictable. Some students, even though they have selected this environment, refuse to take an active part in the decision making process established by the group, and prefer to follow the group's lead. These students find security in the decisions of the group yet remain guiltless when things go wrong. Some students, even though they parti- cipated in the decision making process, give all decisions minimal compliance or even undermine the decision by is bu sh bL pe de 0 A] El . . let .1.” ..Lllm‘ m! A; 47 ignoring it. They feel the decision applies to everyone but them. Other students take very active roles of leader— ship, identifying problems, initiating discussion, and building support for a specific issue. The greatest and perhaps most difficult task in the "B“ environment is to develop a decision making process that institutes the will of the majority but still recognizes and acts upon the needs of the minority. Because the students usually have greater oppor— tunities for mobility and socialization in this environ- ment, clique-like groups form. There are the "jocks" who are all on or trying out f0r the basketball team, carry Adidas labeled gym bags, and wear ties on game days. Since their successes and failures are usually experienced on the gym floor, they tend not to compete on the blackboard. Following the "jocks" are the "cheerleaders" or other girls who may make the cheerleading squad next year. They can often be seen practicing the locker room shuffle, jumping, clapping hands, slapping thighs, in some rhythm- ical pattern. This activity occurs in the halls, class- rooms, lunch line, and girls' lavatory. Another predict- able group is the "BR" group. This group spends most of their in a r and 1: then c studi They prom; libra 0f ot writi diff ienCE The Infc facj baS( int, PQQ: 48 their time in the girls' room. It's a place to sit, look in a mirror, gossip with privacy, comb hair, polish nails and lower hip hugging Levis. When out of the girls' room, then can be seen cornering some boy against a locker. The studious groups are usually reserved in dress and manner.. They are cooperative, successful in most tasks, quiet, prompt, and play the viola or clarinet. They are often library assistants, seldom become involved in the problems of others? wear the latest in fashion, and have neat hand- writing. It is the "C" learning environment that is quite different and one that most educators have the least exper- ience with. The ”C" Environment The "C" environment could be labeled an Open- Informal learning environment utilizing a team 0f learning facilitators, and several rooms in the building as a home base of activity.. This complex of rooms can be divided into social, activity, seminar, and study areas. This environment is based on the assumption that people are more important, of higher priority, than kn: th Th gu he VG of ('f 49 knowledge. The students daily and weekly choose from all the resources of the school the ones they want to encounter. The learning facilitators act as counselors, resources, and guides to other resources for students who ask for this help. At times a resource person will help a student de- velop some short and long term goals and the ways and means of achieving those goals. There are usually three important constraints placed upon the students by the institution: 1) the learn- ing facilitators must know where all students are at all times because they care about the student and have liabil- ity requirements that must be met, 2) no one can infringe on the rights of another, and 3) there can be no destruc- tion of property. Activities outside of the school building are commonplace. While there are mobility limitations on very young students, older students can often link up with community resources and spend part of their week working and learning with a local merchant, tradesman, or profes- sional. Field trips and camping trips are initiated by the students. They are responsible for all the planning and preparation of such activities. (Greater detail con- cerning this environment appears in Chapter IV.) 50 Predictable Student Behavior in the "C" Learning Environment First entering the S.W.S. can be a trying experi- ence for the student. He is emerging from a teacher-other directed world into an inner directed world. A newcomer's behavior is often as predictable as the various stages of the common cold. Most of these behaviors are results of strategies the students have developed to cope with teacher dominated classrooms. These institutional bad habits create a transitional period of some stress and frustration. Most students upon entering go right to the books. They make every effort to "look" like a student. Before the end of the second week, the books are closed and the facade is safely jammed in the bottom of somebody's locker. October becomes card playing month, a symptom of the extent of the student's inner resources for direction and risk taking. But this phase is important for two purposes: 1) it brings students with common frustration together into small groups and 2) it leads to more frustration, boredom and self examination. Those who lose at cards are the biggest gainers because they tire of playing within 51 a week and must deal with other options. Those who are constant winners usually stay with the games for three to five weeks. Then they too must deal with their boredom. By the beginning of November, the cards are "dog eared" and missing. Many of the newcomers look to the seminars being offered to relieve inner anxiety and possible ten-. sion at home. Such an escape can be initially beneficial in that it feels good to be doing something which wins parent approval butit prolongs the inevitable crisis of switching dependency from a teacher to the environment. All students do not join seminars or find individual pro- jects. Some find another toy to continue their play. These students are usually better off than the ones who run to a seminar for direction. Those working the yo-yos all day are really processing who they are, how they are using time, and why they are in this predicament. Most all of the students have generated the necessary artifacts that demonstrate learning to their parents by parent- teacher conference time. Students know their parents' needs and skillfully plan to meet them. If it means six pages of math, it can usually be found in their folder. Actually the students are very honest with their parents 52 and have discussed their activities long before our time for information sharing. By the end of November, a few students will want to get out of the environment. The decision making and responsibility are too much to contend with and they freely admit to a need for constant supervi- sion and external structure. This has been a positive learning experience for these students as now they can make a personal commitment to a teacher centered classroom and know why they are there. The learning facilitators are in personal contact with all the students most of the time. The team occa- sionally meets to share observations and determine who is being massed or needs special care and attention. Some students can be overlooked for a while and others may need more love and affection. By January, the students have established their own unique individual learning routines. They have learned how to beat boredom and frustration. They know how to use time and their environment to meet their needs as growing human beings. For some students this means taking the year "off." Some students need to take a year off from school to process the past ten years of growth. Life is 53 just not all that sequential as schools pretend it is. A few students complete every reading and math book they can find around the school. They take the last three months of school off. Others read and write at home and come to school to socialize because that's where other young people are. Some students prepare themselves academically for an early entry into high school. As eighth graders, they take math or language courses at the high school and return to the S.W.S. for the rest of the day. Everyone is different and some other illustrations will help to clarify this observation. Michael Make Me. Mike is new to the S.W.S. environ- ment. He begins the year on the couch in the social room. By December he has moved to one of the overstuffed chairs. He is extremely bored, but he refuses to accept this as reality. He begins to approach the resource people for ideas and direction not because he wants to do a project, but just to have the activity of refusing and rejecting all that is suggested to him. This becomes his project. It is safe and successful. Asking is fun, rejecting is power. Mike feels some guilt about sitting in the social room all day but he fears the responsibility of making a 54 commitment and having it fail. Rather than risk failure, he chooses boredom and the make-me game. Sometimes Mike evolves into a Do-It-Forever-Don. Do-It-Forever-Don has finally found a project he wants to do and feels safe doing. He is so proud of himr self for making a commitment. It has relieved most of the feelings of anxiety and frustration he has harbored for the past two months. Don works the three day project for three months. He can't give it up. To finish may mean another period of anxious searching. Sometimes Don breaks his project so he can continue with it tomorrow. Someday Don may become a permanent graduate student at a major university. He's okay. A Harry Hostile enters the S.W.S. because he wants freedom. He is tired of being told what to do and of teacher domination. He never has a pencil, a book, or a kind look or word for any authority figure. Upon entering the S.W.S., Harry announces that he isn't going to read or compute. He retreats to the T.V. and "Gilligan's Island." The adult sitcoms of the early sixties, now ten o'clock reruns, are comfortable and safe. As his anxiety reduces and he receives support from the resource people and peers, 55 Harry makes small efforts at growth striving. He starts several projects, some of which fail. One such successful project is making movies about war and crime. A little out of focus and lacking in continuity of plot, his movies are well received by his peers. People holding the success of four aces never ask for a new deal. During his two years in the S.W.S., Harry doesn't open a math book, dia- gram.a sentence, or write his name and date in the upper right hand of any paper. But Harry enjoys coming to school because that's where his friends meet every morning at 8:15. While his hair is long and his clothes faded and patched, he knows he is accepted for what he can do, not rejected for what he can't do. He feels this respect from others and respects their individuality. He begins to interact with the adults in the room because he is secure enough to take the risk. He can test his ideas against theirs without running the risk of rejection. His verbal skills become another strength and he gets recognition for it. Harry gains a part in the school play and is an instant success. He elects to be a librarian assistant and becomes involved in the use and care of the audio- visual equipment. As his two years in S.W.S. draw to a 56 close, Harry can sell refrigerators to Eskimos at the North Pole and guarantee service. He is confident and aggressive. He announces to the learning facilitators thathe is going to go to high school next year and try his best. While ex- cited about going, he is a little anxious because he doesn't know integers or inflectional morphemes. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills says he is below national norms in academic achievement. The problem is that Harry doesn't know it. He went to the high school full of determination and self confidence. He took beginning algebra his fresh- man year and was successful. He starredin a high school musical. In other classes he asks questions and tests the teachers. He thinks learning is an active rather than passive process. Did the S.W.S. change Harry's behavior? We don't really know. We do know that the S.W.S. environment told Harry that he was acceptable as a person at a time school was saying he was unacceptable because he didn't fit the school's expectations. By allowing him to exercise his decision making potential and having his own experiences rather than those dictated by the seventh grade curriculum, Harry felt respected. Confronted with himself and his own AW]. II .'I. .’1“h.l 57 behavior he found he had to and could be something dif- ferent to meet his needs as a human being. Harry changed himself. He wanted to. Ira Isolate came to S.W.S. as an eighth grader. Ira had an insatiable appetite for astronomy. In September he quickly retreated to a corner of the room to dig into astronomy books and journals. As a project, he was writing a monthly newsletter compiled from all that he had read and studied about astronomy the previous four weeks. In mid-November, Ira was looking around the room. He had discovered there were other people there. By De- cember he was out of his corner trying to relate to others, trying to find a group he could call friends. Having few and poor social skills, his first contacts were crude and primative. At first he would hit, grab, and pull to let others know he was there. His peers rejected this behavior and he began to refine it. The astronomy books and jour- nals were set aside now as Ira concentrated on developing social contact. By April, Ira was a contributing member of a group of six students. Some were his age, others were younger. He could now do verbally that which he was trying to do physically in December. He left us in June to go to 58 high school. As a Freshman, he worked with a small group of students to rewrite the school philosophy. Their efforts were successful and a presentation was made to the Board of Education. Ira's second year in high school was spent at a private alternative school in the area. While there he took leadership roles in helping others to overcome their problems and difficulties in dealing with life. While he once thought he needed a telescope to look at the problems of the Universe, he had discovered he didn't have to look beyond his arm's reach. Tiny Tim. Tiny started S.W.S. as a sixth grader. While being the smallest boy in the sixth grade, he was a mathematical giant for his age. During the first few months in school he had beaten all challengers in chess which included eighth graders, staff, and building prin- cipal. He had some difficulty with his physical size. He continually felt others were picking on him and taking advantage of him. He saw himself as physically small in a big boy's world. Often this led to some kind of phys- ical conflict as he saw a need to defend his ego and existence. Of course he would always lose and sink into moods of depression. 59 Three years later, still in S.W.S. as an eighth grader, Tiny Tim is going steady with one of the most attractive, intelligent, mature, talented girls in the school. She is also a member of the S.W.S. Well, she is taller than he, but it doesn't seem to matter. He hasn't had a fight in over a year. He doesn't think about his size as a liability anymore. As a twelve year old he has learned that technique beats size any day. Yes, he is still a math wizz and also team assistant for the basket- ball team. Sweet Sue entered the S.W.S. program as a sixth grader. She was personable, polite, cooperative, intel- ligent, talented, and aggressive. She immediately deter- mined what she would have to study to prepare herself for high school. She balanced her time between books, boys, band, and baseball. As an eighth grader she could have gone on to the high school but chose to remain at the Middle School for most of the day. She does take a language arts class at the high school and elected to take an algebra class at the Middle School. The algebra class became frustrating to her because the teacher and the class moved too slowly. Unusual? No. 60 Two boys in the S.W.S. two years ago decided they wanted to skip eighth grade completely. They studied and worked to prepare themselves and at the end of their seventh grade, moved into the high school as freshmen. Today they continue to be successful as sophomores. CHAPTER IV THE OPEN-INFORMAL CLASSROOM Introduction The open-informal classroom or "C" environment discussed in this study was initiated as a school-within- a-school. A S.WkS. is an organizational pattern designed to allow a different approach to learning to exist within a prevailing school program with minimum interference to either program. This program was started four years ago with three learning facilitators and eighty-five students who were sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. This group meets a minimum of four hours a day in the S.W.S. area, spending the remainder of their day at lunch or in elective areas. This program continues today as one of five learning environments, students, teachers, and parents can choose to best meet their needs and compliment their life styles. In May of each year, the community, which includes students, are invited to several meetings held in the 61 62 school to learn more about the different learning environ- ments and begin to make selections for the coming year. Students can switch environments during the school year. The "C" environment over the past four years, has been selected by approximately ten percent of the middle school student population. The School-Within-A-School The S.W.S. is a learning environment based on the philosophy of open-informal education. The term open- informal education means many things to many people. The S.W.S. defines this term by saying every child is unique, learns at a rate peculiar to himself alone, and learns by a complex set of adaptations that cannot be duplicated in any other child. Accordingly, the S.W.S. is a learning environment that continually re-creates itself according to the uniqueness of children. It also assumes that children learn better through direct contact with the world than through the interpreting medium of a teacher. The teacher or learning facilitator helps the child actively experience the real world of self, others, time, and 63 materials. The operant verb is no longer teach. It is SHEL- None of this is new. There is an old Chinese proverb that says: "I hear and I forget I see and I remember I do and I understand." The work of the child psychologist Jean Piaget contributes to the psychological bases of the S.W.S. First, children learn at differentiated rates that a teacher cannot alter. A child, ultimately controls his own education. Knowledge is idiosyncratic in that it means different things to different people. Reality is a perception of each person based on his past experiences, values, needs, social-emotional stability and physical health. A person's behavior is a reaction to one's own perceptions of reality rather than reality itself. A learner will tend to interact with that which is meaning- ful to him, and reject those things that are meaningless. Another point that Piaget makes is that a child learns experimentally, not by verbal abstractions. This point is also made by the existentialist philosophers. They say that a person must experience himself and the surrounding environment to determine reality and truth. 64 Both of these points can be synthesized into one major psychological basis for open education and the S.W.S.: the child deserves respect. If a teacher makes most of the decisions affecting a learner's environment, he does not afford the learner the same respect he reserves for himself. To require another person to view life filtered only through my experiences is to deny him his. To demonstrate respect, trust, and belief in the dignity of the learner, is to allow the learner to develop and evolve his own educational experience. The concept of the S.W.S. does not require any technological or architectural gimmick. It does not depend on a magical physical arrangement of rooms without walls. The concept could be worked in any building regardless of shape or age. In the Kinawa Middle School the S.W.S. uses a suite of rooms. One room is used for socializing, tele- vision, and record players. Another for work and quieter activities. A science lab is used as well as the reading and instructional material centers. Nice buildings and lots of equipment help but never take the place of enthus- iastic, intelligent, creative educators. 65 Because of its ever changing moods and character- istics the open-informal classroom is difficult to describe in neat, specific terms. Yet we can list certain charac- teristics which will help our understanding of this learn- ing environment and which are manifested in the S.W.S. program, and most other open-informal classrooms. 1. Grouping: In most open-informal programs, and the S.W.S., the students are heterogeneous in terms of age, grade level, sixth, seventh, eighth, and maturation. This grouping allows for individually differentiated rates of development. Cross asso- ciations can occur on intellectual and social levels. Associations can be real rather than forced because of organizational or institutional needs. Flexible age grouping allows the student to play a variety of maturational roles during the school day, a process that is often inhibited where the child is confined within age—segregated groups. The Integrated Day: The day is integrated in the sense that many different activities are going on within a single learning environment at the same 66 time. One child may be learning in the reading center while others are attending a social studies seminar. Some students may be working in the In- structional Materials Center while a few others have chosen to practice their instruments in the music area. Others may be in the science lab while others are socializing in the social room. There is little homogeneity of activity. This is an in- dicator of healthy children making individual choices concerning needs, use of time and materials, and educators respecting their ability to choose. The day is also integrated for the individual child in that he may treat his day as a whole rather than a series of tight learning segments: hour one read- ing, hour two social studies, hour three math, etc. If a child's needs and intelligence direct him toward concentrating the entire day on a science project or socialization, he is free to do so. In life, if a task or interest is relatively success- ful, there is a tendency to stay with it until com- pletion. In life there are also days when moods and concerns completely render completion of 67 job-related tasks a failure. Human beings demand "wasted" time, be they teachers, politicians, or machinists. Only in schools are students expected to be productive every hour of the day. At the sound of the tone, learning in math stops and learning in language arts is to begin. Learning in the S.W.S. is interest orientated rather than clock orientated. Learner Control: Learner control is a primary tenent of the S.W.S. Learner control is a system in which the student, not the teacher, makes the majority of the school day activity decisions. The learner rather than the teacher determines the what, when, how, and why of learning. Learner control does not imply that the teacher or learning facilitator abdicates his role as adult, leader or guide. It does not suggest that the teacher becomes a child or buddy of the student. Such role playing by an adult is seen as phony and rejected by most young people. 68 Inner Direction: Part of the authority that di- rects the child's activity comes from within rather than from without. In David Reissman's scheme of social development, inner directed people, those who had incorporated within themselves standards of behavior and belief, preceded other-directed people, those who turn in time of stress to their fellows for direction. Inner direction is the stuff of‘ active people, leaders. Other direction is the standard by which bystanders at an emergency or crisis fail to act because no one spells out for them the required behavior. There are many people today who choose not to be involved in facing the decisions life requires of them. They require that others do this for them, thus absolving them or responsibility. When things go wrong they always have someone other than themselves to blame. These peOple are really running from real life. Each decision they escape from weakens their self confidence to face the brutal realities of living in a complex world. People who make decisions and take intelligent 69 risks develop the greatest security and positive assessment of the self. In all walks of life the most successful people are those who have ideas, will risk standing up for what they believe to be right, and risk being different when they believe in something. Even though there is occasional failure, those who avoid decision making and risk taking become fearful of reality and all its de- mands. Intelligent decision making with its innate risks builds strength in human character and is growth producing. The S.W.S. recognizes the need for an environment where growing young people can make important decisions that affect their lives and find failure a learning experience too. Because of his decision making, the learner in the open-informal environment is very active in his education. He is planning, setting goals, asking questions, seeking answers from his total environ- ment rather than just the teacher, and exploring unknown areas outside a predetermined curriculum. 70 The Learning Facilitator: In the S.W.S., learner control does not mean adult abdication. The learn- ing facilitator is very involved in modeling be- havior, helping students to look at their options, and making commitments. The facilitator is involved in handling equipment and selecting materials suit- able for the learner's needs. Safety, the rights of others, and the protection of public property are the concerns of all. The environment must be relatively stable and safe for everyone. Guidance is an important function especially for those who are experiencing difficulty in seeing their own behavior, and the environmental opportunities for learning. But the facilitators do not set up fiats under which all students must pretend to be iden- tical in taste, judgment, and ability. In the S.W.S. the student must confront experience directly, not filtered through a curriculum council or teacher. If difficulty is experienced, the learner can go to the facilitator for help and guidance. This natural, rather than forced, rela- tionship develops positive interaction between 71 student and adult. The facilitator can give group or individual instruction. He canlecture to two, interact and discuss with twelve or one, and he can chaperone thirty or more in a large group ac- tivity. Teaming: It is possible to have an open-informal classroom without a team. But the S.W.S. utilizes a team approach to differentiate content expertise and personality attractiveness. The teaming ap- proach allows the constant availability of a re- source person. It allows one resource person to go off with one or several students leaving another resource person to deal with the concerns of those on individual projects and those socializing. Teaming also allows for the eccentricities of adult behavior. The uptight or distraught teacher can hide for a few minutes to reassemble his physical and psychological self without leaving the group unattended. It is worth noting here that all the resource people can often disappear for various reasons without disrupting the learning process, 72 or having the class degenerate into chaos. Stu- dents are involved in things they have committed themselves to and are not dependent on the resourCev people. The adults often leave purposely to build trust between themselves and the students. One doesn't build trust with another by standing over his shoulder or peeking through a window. Often, a facilitator's departure goes unnoticed by the students who are preoccupied with their own per- sonal concerns. With a team there is less possi- bility of learning failure due to personality con- flicts between students and teachers. In the S.W.S. a student can and does choose the resource person he most enjoys working with. As the stu- dent's needs change, he often changes his contacts with resource people. Teaming is also valuable to the S.W.S. when one of the learning facilitators is absent. The substi- tute does not have to carry the total task of deal- ing with eighty students. The rest of the team is still there to carry on. The substitute becomes l another visiting resource person. 73 Learner-Teacher: In the S.W.S., students teach and learn from each other. Common interests, physical size, or maturation levels bring together students into groups often with two or three years age dif- ferential. They often turn to each other because a friend is most available and often most understand- ing. When a child learns by means of his own efforts, it increases his confidence to help others. In the open classroom, everything in the room and total school is a resource for the inquiring mind. Books, materials in the art room, and shop, other teachers, custodians, administrators, the Board of Education, and the community all become possibil- ities for learning. The Expanded Classroom: Learner control requires not only that the student exercises options con- cerning his learning efforts in the school, but that he be able to go outside of the school to pursue an interest. The S.W.S. has taken many field trips with those who expressed an interest to do so. All trips are learning excursions on a 74 voluntary basis. we have gone to the State Capitol several times, numerous camping trips at all times of the year, Greenfield Village, museums, "2001--A . Space Odyssey," art shows, the electron microscope and planetarium at M.S.U., the Martha Dixon Show at WJIM, Salvation Army Used Furniture Store, Mr. Steak, and tours through the poor and wealthy sec- tions of Lansing. Parents have often been enlisted to help with these activities and have always re- sponded generously and ably. There is always the option to go where one can study best, or talk best, or rest best. The social room, work room, group room, and other facilities in the building are in constant use. All space has a possible use for students in charge of their own learning. Interest Centers: Interest centers are not the core of informal education. But they are essential tools for learners. Learners need resources they can turn to when they need them. The learning facili- tator is one of these resources. In the S.W.S. the 75 resource people offer seminars on various topics ranging from algebra to glassblowing. These sem- inars are attended voluntarily by the students. They are held in labs, classrooms, outdoors, and in the community. The instructional materials center and reading center are very important learning resources for S.W.S. students. Open education will use any device that allows a child the dignity of growing in terms of his own blue- print. Know thyself is still the purpose of edu- cation. SOWOS. Alumni A question people frequently ask of us is, "What happens to the students who leave the S.W.S. environment and enter a more traditional, teacher-content centered classroom?" We have spent many hours talking with students who have moved on to the high school where there are no alter- native learning environments. The high school has a tradi— tional curriculum with the usual narrow offering of 76 electives. From our discussions, several predictable experiences emerge. 1. The students have little or no difficulty meeting the academic standards imposed on them by the teachers. Because of the relative ease of meeting these requirements, there is little complaint about this. Many students do have difficulty with the work load. They are not accustomed to spending three or more hours after school in book orientated activities and non-activities. This does cause some anxiety and frustration in some of the stu- dents. Some find that they do too much on their own. They read and complete assignments too fast and soon learn how to adjust their working pace to that of the teacher. Before, they set their own schedules but in the high school, Parkinson's Law takes over. Most of the former S.W.S. students find the high school a relatively easy experience to that of the S.W.S. The S.W.S. required them to deal with the real frustrations of procrastination, decision 77 making, personal failure, discovery, use of re- sources, materials, time, and self control. This is a difficult experience for most anyone, child or adult. When these students enter the teacher- content dictated high school, they quickly learn the minimal things they must do to earn their de- sired grade, an "A,“ "B," or "C." Being told what to study, how to study it, and when to study ab- solves them of personal responsibility and decision making. Obtaining an acceptable grade point aver- age becomes important because the school equates high grade point averages with success. These students soon learn the "Game" of getting good grades. Little time is wasted searching avenues of learning that may prove to be dead ends or of little positive consequence on the grade point average. Now they know exactly what they should spend their time on and what should be avoided. They learn very rapidly how to play "school." Some people ask, "If the S.W.S. students fit in so well, has their S.W.S. experience been wasted?" Initially, S.W.S. alumni attempted through the 78 student government to bring about some curricular change at the high school. But within the year their efforts were crushed by the teaching staff. Shortly thereafter the whole student government became ineffective and discarded. But one differ- ence that seems to remain between the S.W.S. stu- dents and the other students who missed the exper— ience is that the S.W.S. alumni know there are alternatives in learning and life. The other stu- dents are unaware of this. They think their ex- perience is the one and only way. Occasionally an attempt is made to question this but to do so is to operate outside the norms for student be- havior and one is labeled as incorrigible or a "freak." S.W.S. alumni are more talkative in class than other students. Generally, they ask more questions, challenge both teachers and other students, are more apt to take an independent study and are more project orientated. If this kind of behavior, however, is not encouraged at the high school and can interfere with compiling a high grade point 79 average, some students may have difficulty. The S.W.S. environment probably didn't initiate the active learning role but it did encourage it by the very nature of its operating strategies and techniques. To allow the reader to draw some of his own conclusions concerning the frustrations and feelings of S.W.S. alumni, a few letters from these students have been included. Dear Mr. Blom: It is third hour and I am in my Language Arts class. Miss () gave us a list of exercises this week to keep us busy. But I finished them all. They weren't due till Friday and yesterday I was done. Of course I don't know what that proves. I think it is just a ges- ture of defiance. Like saying, "See, I fin- ished everything. You can't keep me busy all week like that. I can learn without your help." Does that make any sense to you? You know Mr. Blom, I have become extremely dissatisfied with school here. The only reason I come is because I have to. Last year I know I had to come, but I also wanted to. That makes quite a lot of difference. I know a lot of people now who were in S.W.S. the first year, and they seem to take a totally different point of view of things. I wonder if just letting yourself out for a while does that or maybe proving what you can really do. I like both ideas. 80 Dear Mr. Blom: Well, back to the old grind as the saying goes. I sure wish I could get out of here. I am in third hour, as usual, and get this, I am learning how to write sentences. Lord, I've been writing sentences for ten years! If I can't write sentences by now, then what's the use of even picking up a pen to put my thoughts down on paper? This new teacher really disgusts me. What kind of an idiot does she think I am anyway? A pretty big one, I guess. I think sometimes she is right. I wrote the most terrible composition I ever wrote in my life and she gave me a "B." By my standards, it should have gotten a "D" or "F." Dear Mr. Blom: I am writing about school in the best place-- school. This school is so impersonal I can't stand it. But there isn't much I can do about it, is there? Of course not, if I have that attitude. But around here what the principal says, goes. Without question, whether he's right or wrong. I think this is the making of a little Russia. I am glad, really, about getting good grades, but as I asked you once before, whose stand- ards are they? If I graded myself, I would have gotten an “A“ for effort in some classes and an "E" for not trying in some others. Because that's how I was this term. One of the classes I got an "A" in, I got without trying. And some of the kids that tried really hard got a "C." It doesn't seem fair. But then nothing really is when you think about it, is it? I do alot of thinking, Mr. Blom, and a lot of writing too. But the two go together. I 81 suppose if I really wanted to be technical, I could say that this school is completely upside-down, dictated, and above all--boring. Oh well, I've seen worse things before. A Student Teacher Reacts Dear S.W.S. Staff: When I first started in S.W.S. back in November, I had some really high expecta- tions of the socko experience that student teaching was going to be. Whatever time I spent in S.W.S. was just going to be the finishing high of an already high experi- ence. As it turned out though, I think S.W.S. has become a refuge for me; a place where alot of my personal needs have been met without too much output involved. S.W}S. was a place for me to test my social skills with students. It was a place to engage in some personal relationships with young people. It was a place where demands made of me could be met while just being myself. At a time when I was asked to manipulate and control and discipline and meet kids intellectual needs part-time at the high school, at S.W.S. I could walk into an already set-up situation, act as an adult friend, as a sometimes tutor, an outside-talker-outer, a counselor, a chess player. I had all the fun and none of the responsibilities in some way. I had irreg- ular hours because of the responsibilities of being part of the student teaching cluster. Some days I couldn't show up at all, because of something at the high school, because of an appointment cross town. When I did show, it could only be an hour, two hours . . . maybe if I were 82 to stay on in S.W.S. I would start to hold a couple seminars . . . . The Middle School kids, especially in S.W.S. are really good to be with, such an ability to make believe and think of unlikely things. So maybe I would start some seminars . . . but all in all, as it comes to a close, I'm glad I was able to experience S.W.S. without ulterior motives. ‘ I'm glad I was able to experience kids in a play-like situation; casual, non-threatening. I'm glad I could deal with some of the kids on an emotional level. It felt so good to have an experience that was not deferred gratification, to have time that generally felt good when everything else felt bad. I've felt a lot of supportiveness from you. It wasn't really explained very much. It was more often non-verbal than verbal. It wasn't often fully expressed, but I felt it. A general feeling that I was trusted, that I was doing a good thing when I was around. I felt best toward the end of the term when I started to diversify in S.W.S. At the last, I started to tutor in math or language arts as well as play chess and socialize. That felt good because maybe I was meeting someone else's needs besides my own. Briefly then, although student teaching has been much more discouraging than I'd expected, though my own plans for work in S.W.S. changed and took different forms, I have felt good about being involved there. I has been an up. I have even felt needed and helpful there as: another adult body, a kid's friend, an extra facilitator. Thank you, Steve 83 "C" is Not a Crisis Classroom The "Open-Informal“ classroom is not a "Crisis Classroom." A "Crisis Classroom“ is another option for educators and students and caters to emotionally and socially disturbed and unstable people. An open-informal learning environment demands that a student face himself and his environment. Someone unstable to the point of constantly escaping from the reality of self and environ- ment has great difficulty sorting and organizing the many options offered in the open-informal setting. This stu- dent has too much difficulty living with himself without the added pressures of a highly stimulating environment. There are people who feel a drug "high" is the better choice to a life “high" because it is easy, pre- dictable, dependable, and instantly available on demand. Getting "high" on life is not a desirable choice for some people. These people should not be in an open-informal learning environment. There are others who have achieved great recogni- tion and success with negative behavior. The open-informal environment isn't always conducive to reversing this 84 process. The unsupervised, trusting environment can be too attractive for more success from more negative behavior. Since we seldom know the origins of these unstable behaviors in students, a school with options and alterna- tives stands a better chance in finding a best placement for a child. CHAPTER V RESEARCH AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA Introduction . r/ I z’/ / / / As previously stated, this is not research designed to prove or disprove a hypothesis or add more statistics to the stacks of the university library. My concern has not been to find new data but rather to put into practice some of the theory already developed many years ago and report on my experiences so others can benefit and perhaps make similar attempts. At least at this point in time, educa- tion may be best benefitted by more doing and less statis- tical data collecting. This chapter deals with sharing rather than com- paring. It is an attempt to share some of the information we have found concerning the learning environments. It is not an attempt to show which is best or better. 85 86 Evaluation Evaluation is an important process. As a diag- nostic mirror, it can improve behavior and efficacy of individuals, groups, and programs, if that is a desirable. In education our mirrors are few and limited. Each day we receive a whole child but are at best only able to test a few of his parts. We can test his eyes, his hearing, and evaluate his reading skills compared with others his age in the rest of the country. But some evaluative mirrors distort when used to measure creativity, imagina- tion, or the whole child. Scientific measurement often fails when it comes to determining a child's ability to initiate activities, be self directing, and take respon- sibility for one's own learning. To evaluate only those areas that we can measure, and make judgments about the whole person or program on the basis of that data is very inconclusive. .Yet, educational programs supported by public monies soon find themselves being evaluated. If those working with the program don't do it, the community soon does. In the spring of 1971, Dr. L. Shulman and a group of graduate students from the Educational Psychology 87 Department of MSU made a comprehensive study of the "A" (Traditional) and "C" (Open—Informal) learning environ- ments. Since that time this writer has obtained more data concerning all three environments. This section is a presentation of this information. The purpose of this information is not to prove which learning environment is the best of the three. Its purpose is to share what I know concerning these environments after four years of observing and testing. The Shulman study group matched, as best they could, students in the S.W.S. with students in the tradi- tional classroom. In terms of background: 1. S.W;S. students are representative of the rest of the school in terms of age at all three grade levels. 2. Those students who chose the S.W.S. environment had spent the same number of years in the Okemos school system on the average as had their non- S.W.S. counterparts. 88 3. Parents of children in S.W.S. have attained a higher educational level overall than have their non-S.W;S. counterparts. 4. Measures of verbal and non-verbal I.Q. reveal no difference between students within and outside the program. 5. The number of absences for both the S.W.S. group and the group representing the traditional class- room were equivalent and were not different from the school average. The background descriptions also included achieve- ment test scores taken prior to the beginning of the S.W.S. environment, and these revealed no differences in prior achievement of the S.W.S. group and the rest of the school. In order to follow this up, the Stanford Achievement Test Battery was administered to both groups and it demonstrated that there were no differences in the rate of growth be- tween the two groups. Subsequent achievement testing, the Michigan State Assessment and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, confirms the results of the Shulman study team. 89 Ten students who started the S.W.S. experience three years ago as sixth graders and now are eighth graders have main- tained their own individual growth rates. Comparative data taken from a 1964 normed I.T.B.S. taken as fifth graders in 1969 and a 1971 normed I.T.B.S. taken as eighth graders in 1973 show few significant dif— ferences in rates of growth. (See Appendix.) Perhaps the most significant fact that can be derived from the data is that the S.W.S. students even after three years of exposure to the "C" environment achieved at all. This S.W.S. en- vironment has no objectives or curriculum related to vocab- ulary, reading comprehension, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, word usage, map reading, graphs, reference materials, arithmetic concepts, or arithmetic reasoning. The ”A” or traditional environment does include these areas in its sixth, seventh, and eighth grade curriculum. The factors that most influence cognitive achievement must be personal and internal rather than environmental. The Shulman evaluation team made two attempts to assess the learning environment of the S.W.S. as compared with the traditional classroom. One attempt was designed to measure the student's perceptions of their learning 90 environment and the other a more objective set of systee matic classroom observations. Both attempts reveal dif- ferences between the "C" learning environment and the "A" learning environment. Students within the "C" (S.W.S.) compared with those outside saw their environment as less concerned with speed and generating less friction, less favoritism, and less cliqueness. Objective observations of classrooms demonstrated that S.W.S. spends less time on traditional classroom activities and more time in social activities. A student in the S.WkS. environment could be expected to spend as much as eighty percent of his time in social activities. In addition, the S.W;S..students seem to demonstrate more mobility within the building than those in the “A“ or traditional environment. Further studies (see pages ) of the learning environments "A," "B,“ and "C” concerning class cohesiveness, diversity, formal- ity, speed or pace of activity, feelings toward the en- vironment, interpersonal friction, favoritism, cliqueness, satisfaction, disorganization, democracy, and competition confirm the Shulman study. (See Appendix.) Assessment of the social structures of the "A" and "C" environments via sociometry led to the conclusion that 91 the students seen as most attractive by their peers in the "C” or S.W.S. environment are best described as academi- cally orientated and are active, creative leaders. Outside S.W.S., on the other hand, the most popular student is defined socially in terms of appearance and friendliness. Attempts to measure curiosity, creativity, and self concept generally failed because of inadequate infor- mation about the students at the beginning of the year. An interesting finding happened almost by accident. The S.W.S. students were observed in all settings many of which were without any adult supervision. At these times, such as in the Instructional Materials Center, the ob- servers noted that the S.W.S. students generally came there on academic business and carried it out on their own, quite seriously, and undetectable in terms of be- havior from students from other environments. (See Shulman report to the Board in the Appendix.) In summary, there is a great deal of comparative data one may want to collect concerning the three basic environments, such as family background, and needs and values of both the students and their parents, their social involvements, religious orientation, etc., but 92 basically there is no evidence that achievement in cogni- tive areas is greatly affected. Changes may and do occur in feelings, attitudes, and living-learning styles. Each environment presents a valid option for learning and'grow~ ing. By the very nature of offering choices to students, teachers, and the community, the school has supported the main tenents of Democracy. Other Findings WOrking specifically in the "C" or S.W.S. environ- ment has, through observation and experience, enabled the writer to identify and describe an environment where the inner resources of self-control, responsibility for learn- ing and use of time, use of environmental resources, self directiveness, commitment, and self criticism are very likely to develop. These characteristics would be en- couraged in an environment that: 1. allows the student to make choices about what he does, when he does it, and how he does it. The student must see the consequences of his choices to aid him in future decision making. 2. allows the student to take an active role in relating to all the resources of the school. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 93 the learning situation is based on individual need and desire rather than content sequence or organi- zational convenience. sees failure as a positive learning process. allows students to teach and learn from each other. encourages risk taking in learning. encourages a student to practice self control. allows the child to find out who he is, how he re- lates to others and how others relate to him. provides the student with information about himself by way of diagnostic instruments and personal feed- back. teaches a child to base his learning on internal motivation rather than external rewards or fear. allows children to be mobile rather than inactive and passive. enables the student to have moments alone with the adults in the room. provides a rich assortment of materials. recognizes play as an important learning activity. helps the student to become dependent on the total environment for learning rather than just the teacher. is trusting. fosters a respect for each other as people and for the rights of others. accentuates the positive. 94 19. is real, providing real experiences rather than simulated, contrived, or existing only in the mind of an educator. 20. is stable and relatively safe. The fear of pos- sible injury from things or other people can impair positive growth. 21. exposes the student to experiences and opportun- ities he may be unaware of or overlook. 22. is not clock orientated, allowing natural involve- ment and closure on activities. 23. helps the child to find experiences that are mean- ingful to him as a unique person. 24. includes disappointment and sorrow, crisis and anxiety, sweat and tears. Iowa Test of Basic Skills Ten students out of eighteen in 1970 continued to be in the "C” environment in 1973. These students had started in the "C" environment as sixth graders and re- mained as seventh and eighth graders. Some of the ori- ginal sixth graders of 1970 moved out of the school dis- trict and some left the "C“ environment during their seventh grade. The ten students that remained in the S.W.S. did not attend any formal classes in math, science, language arts, or social studies. The "C" environment 95 does not include content assimilation as an objective. All ten of these students have been in the school system for more than four years and all took a Iowa Test of Basic Skills in the fifth grade in 1969 and again as eighth graders in 1973. The results of these tests are on the following pages. A random sample of ten other students who for the past three years went to classes in the "A" and "B" learning environments and who also took the I.T.B.S. as fifth graders and again as eighth graders is also included. This is not an effort to determine which environment is best or turns out the highest achievers, but only to verify the findings of the Shulman study of 1971. (See Iowa Test of Basic Skills Scores in the Appendix.) After looking at the test results one can generally conclude that the ten three year veterans of the "C" en- vironment continued to achieve in most areas even though they didn't receive any formal classes in the areas the test covers. Students in the other learning environments also continued to achieve at generally the same rates of achievement they had previously experienced in school. One must keep in mind that the purposes of the different environments do not al hold cognitive achievement as a high priority. 96 My conclusion, after looking at many more test scores than are represented in the Appendix, is that achievement is a very personal activity and is not greatly influenced by the school. People looking for the causes for high or low achievement will probably have to look out- side of the school first and then look at how the school " helps or hinders this process. It is interesting to note that a child in the formative years of birth to l8 years old, spends approximately 8% of his time in a school set- ting and 92% of his time elsewhere. The time he spends with any one teacher can vary from .1% to .01% of the time of these formative years. Learning Environment Inventogy The Learning Environment Inventory is an instru- ment designed to gather students' perceptions and opinions concerning the classroom environments they attend each day. It attempts to get a measurement concerning the cohesiveness between students, the diversity of the group, the formality of the class, the speed or pace of the ac- tivities, feelings about the total environment, friction 97 between students, favoritism by the teacher, cliqueness within the group, satisfaction with the materials and appearance of the environment, the disorganization, the degree of democratic process used in making decisions, and the competitiveness between students. A score of 2.00 is a median. A score above 2.00 would indicate that the characteristic is descriptive or applies to the environment. A score under 2.00 indicates that the characteristic tends not to be present or de- scriptive of the environment. Ten hundreds (.10) would be a significant difference between scores pertaining to dif- ferent environments. Over sixty students from each en- vironment were given the Learning Environment Inventory. The results are below. "A“ “B" “cl! Cohesiveness 2.86 2.77 1.99 Diversity 2.90 3.05 3.21 Formality 2.31 2.39 1.61 Speed 2.41 2.60 1.35 Environment 2.83 2.74 3.05 Friction 2.67 2.86 1.88 Favoritism 2.12 2.52 1.57 Cliqueness 2.88 3.03 2.01 Satisfaction 2.33 2.52 2.58 Disorganization 2.19 2.46 1.90 Democracy 2.43 2.33 1.71 Competition 2.39 2.58 1.98 data: 98 Several general conclusions can be made from this The "A" environment has more cohesiveness between students than the "B" and "C" environments. There is more diversity in the "B" and "C" environ- ments than in the "A" environment. The "C" environment is perceived as informal com- pared to the “A“ and "B“ environments. All the students feel satisfaction with their classes and generally positive toward the environ- ments they had chosen for themselves. Favoritism and cliqueness is greater in the "B" environment than in the “A“ or "C" environments. Because of its encouragement for individuality and personal autonomy, the "C“ environment was not perceived by the students as being democratic. Competition is recognized and felt by the students in the "A" and "C" environments but not to any great extent in the "C" environment. 99 8. The Learning Environment Inventory data indicates that the environments are functioning according to their design and purposes. (See Appendix for the Learning Environment Inventory.) Gates MacGinitie Reading_Test The Gates MacGinities Reading Test was adminis- tered to all eighth graders in the school during the month of May. This is a timed test designed to measure a stu- dent's vocabulary, reading comprehension, reading speed, and accuracy. The figures presented below were obtained by adding the sum of all standard scores and dividing by the number of students. The resulting average standard scores were then converted to grade scores. The purpose of including these scores in this study is not to develop comparisons, but rather to be descriptive and give the reader more information concerning the reading achievement levels of the students in each environment after at least one and in some instances, three years in a 100 specific environment. Some, but few, students have exper- ienced two and possibly three environments during their three years in the Middle School. "Am "B" "C" vocabulary 8.7 9.1 9.8 Comprehension 12.0 10.0 10.5 Accuracy 9.6 8.8 9.5 Speed 9.2 9.6 9.6 CHAPTER VI SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The public schools today are coming under increased pressure to justify what they do and how they do it. But as monoliths in educational theory, methodology and in light of the differences and diversity in human beings, there are always groups of dissatisfied teachers, students, and parents. There are always groups who feel the schools do not represent their life-style. This becomes even more critical as the schools must deal with the influences of change as represented by the parents and students. Just when the educational institution changes, it immediately becomes unsatisfactory for another group in the community. There is always one group firmly committed to what is, another group attempting to be future oriented, and another group in transience. By offering the community, students, and teachers choices in theory and operation, the schools can serve the diverse and changing perspectives of the people it serves. 101 102 What has always been can exist along side something dif- ferent, innovative, new, or experimental. The alternatives are not competitive since differences in human beings are still acceptable. This means there is no one best way or life style for all students to internalize or to which all must conform. WOrking with different learning environments or alternatives for the past few years, several observations and findings are worth noting: 1. Students are.happier. School wide feedback surveys indicate that the students enjoy school. By having options they can engage in activities that are most meaningful to them, they can personalize their learning programs, and they can avoid certain teachers and spend greater time with others. 2. Teachers are happier. It is exciting and especially pleasing to be allowed to be oneself and to be recognized as having worth for what you are. It is good to come into a school and retain individuality and identity. When teachers are encouraged to de- velop learning environments that are expressions of 103 what they do best for and with children rather than attempt to construct a classroom that meets the needs of some vague administrative model, the teachers develop feelings of worth, validity, cred- ibility, acceptance, and self confidence. All of these feelings manifested in the teacher's behavior bring positive benefits for students. The "C" or autonomous learning environment is not experimental in theory or practice. It is a valid, healthy learning environment. Students do learn self control, self direction in learning and use of time, and how to learn and use the resources of the school and community. Students do continue to achieve on standardized achievement tests without attending formal classes of regulated size or time. This approach does not lead to anarchy or chaos. Anarchy and chaos are life styles bred in autocratic environments. Revolt and revolution result from oppression not freedom. Offering learning environments to a community re- quires greater parental involvement with the 104 schools. They must be informed concerning pro- grams and choices so they can make intelligent decisions. Greater parental involvement often means greater support as they see the school pro- viding programs that reflect their interests and beliefs. This diminishes distrust and hostility. After three years of offering the community alter- natives, the school has begun to receive a great deal of community support. The adult community has the greatest difficulty, compared with their children, with the reality of making choices concerning what is the best learning environment for their child. Yet, most overrule the choices of their children if a conflict occurs. Most parents request the “A" learning environment for their children while most of the students se- lect "B" or "C” learning environment options. A reality of the "B" model is that it eventually looks very much like the "A" or "C" model, depend- ing on the group choice. The "B" model is more of 105 a decision making process or life style than a learning style. The alternatives approach may not be the ideal approach in 1990 but at this time of great change and future shock, it can be a most accommodating procedure educators have at the moment. A Few Werds of Advice There are no rules for guaranteeing success in setting up a learning alternative in a public school. But there are some concerns that should be considered, if the program is to survive. 1. Be certain that the students in some way are ac- quiring or be sure they have acquired, the basic skills of reading and writing. These two areas are still critical for positive self concepts and future growth. Keep faculty, students, and the community informed about what is being planned from the initial 106 development through periodic times of change and reassessment each year the program exists. Make sure the program is an honest extension of the beliefs and behavior of those who staff it. Make the program self-perpetuating. Alternative programs cannot run for long on the strength of one, two, or three individuals. People who create new programs are usually restless, relentless people who are always subject to changes in in- terest and taking better paying or growth inducing jobs. It is important that once a program is firmly established, others are brought in to share in the beliefs and operation of the program. A program's continuation should not be entirely de- pendent on its founders. The staff chosen or developing the alternative should be people who are able to meet many of their needs outside of the school. This will eliminate the possibility of staff using or becoming dependent on the program to meet their own needs and perhaps lose their effectiveness in helping students to meet their needs. 107 Almost anything new makes people nervous, suspi- cious, jealous, or hostile. Staff developing alternative programs should not wait for opposition to arise and attack. They should immediately at- tempt to cultivate goodwill with other staff mem- bers and the community. The alternative should never be presented as a threat to existing programs or other teachers' teaching styles. Never try to make the alternative look good by pointing out the weaknesses and flaws in the other programs. Pre- sent the new learning alternative as a choice in a democratic society. Build a support system in the community be enlist- ing ideas, advice, and support from opinion makers in the community. This support system is necessary to help the Board of Education when they become indecisive concerning new programs, and in correct- ing inaccurate information that circulates through- out the community. While all staff members need not be supportive or totally understanding of the philosophy and 108 methods of the alternative program, they.must be neutral to positive. Opposition in a community is usually fed with information from within the organization. If this is occurring, find this person on the staff and attempt to identify their insecurity. The need is for respect of others and their differences, not philoSOphical agreement. An alternative school in a public school must al- ways remember it is public. It is not to be elitist or exclusive. It must never have to hide anything. Its doors should always be open to the staff and members of the community. Be suspicious of what you are doing if you feel it must be hidden. Visitors should be given time and encouraged to visit other programs in the school even though they have come specifically to observe the alter- native or new program. Visitors should be encour- aged and given time to observe, question, and re- spond concerning their observations and impres- sions. This often requires that a staff person spend some time with the visitors before and after 10. 11. 12. 109 the visit. This feedback is helpful to you and you have an opportunity to clear up any mis—conceptions or negative opinions. Visual and audio presentations should be developed so that the staff can visit other schools and groups in the community to explain the alternative program. A booklet or pamphlet professionally printed, rather than a ditto sheet, is very helpful as a handout to visitors and inquiries by mail. A small booklet dealing with philosophy, operation' of the program, and evaluative data can be read at someone's leisure and processed by the reader after a visit. It often answers questions that arise after the visit is over. It is probably best to maintain a "low profile" the first year of operation. Visitors, the press, and other media can be a hinderance at a time a new program is working on its toughest problems. Whether or not the program uses some form of eval- uation, the community will use theirs. It must be kept in mind that no new program can be adequately 13. 110 evaluated after one year of development. Instant analysis is often premature, unrevealing, showing only the obvious and overlooking the more subtle facets of the program. But there should be a plan for some kind of evaluation. Evaluative strategies and techniques must be developed that are meaning- ful and related to the philosophical basis for the program. Those the community devises will not meet these conditions. Commercially produced evalua- tions, student evaluations, and staff observations and evaluations are all important sources of infor- mation for improvement, establishing credibility, determining failure and weaknesses, and providing understanding for everyone, This process is neces- sary to identify those activities and programs that are harmful to child growth and development. Students in an alternative learning environment should know why they are there and be able to articulate this information to others. No one can support, sell, and continue a learning alternative as well as those who are directly involved, the students. A conscious awareness of the purpose 111 of the learning environment also helps the student to look at his purposes in relation to the pro- gram's purposes. If they conflict, he should be the first to know and seek another alternative. One Source of Public Hostility From the time that Socrates was forced to drink hemlock because of his teaching methods and ideas, to last month's public board of education meeting, schools have been attacked and defended, teachers have been blessed and damned. At no time in history have we all agreed on what schools should be and what they should do. Today is no exception. Socrates was neither the first nor the last teacher to suffer because he persisted in teaching ideas that other people didn't understand or disliked. In most times and places, the teacher has been commanded to be a propagandist for approved values or a vested interest group rather than a searcher for truth. Schools have long been exposed to the pressures of private groups which want to exclude any but their own values and life style. or not. persona school. parent: ence. as stu come 3 some h Places Parent ience compet feel t suCces REgat-l. trial, that t1 who are 0f edu SChOol 112 Schools have public relations whether they want to or not. It is unavoidable for the public to hold highly personal convictions, impressions, and feelings concerning school. Since the time school attendance became compulsory, parents and their children have at least one common experi- ence. Parents have memories and images of their experiences as students in schools of years past. This experience be- comes the basis of their perceptions of school today. If schools become places of joy, be prepared for some hostile parents. Historically schools have been places of sweat and toil, anxiety and discomfort. For many parents school was a negative experience. It was an exper- ience of frustration, criticism, constant accountability, competitiveness, and pressure to succeed. Some parents feel this negative experience was responsible for their success today. They feel it conditions people for the negative environments they create today in their indus- trial, business, and professional vocations. They see too that the negative environment of school sorts out those who are great from those who are mediocre. Local boards of education who exercise a certain amount of control over schools, often consist of higher status groups: business 113 and professional men, seldom support educational programs that may result in changes in class structure or change the symbols of success. Similarly, parents who work in factories often expect the schools to look and operate like factories. Children, in the minds of some parents, are not expected to enjoy school. If they come home happy, the parents feel the school is too permissive, inefficient, and not preparing their children for the "real“ world. Schools that are trying to prepare children for tomorrow rather than yesterday and today are vulnerable to this source of criticism. Conclusions Everyone in education need not be an innovator or change agent. But education needs to allow and develop ways in which experimentation, exploration, searching, trying, and change can occur. It must allow for construc- tive radicalism. The school is a model for all who are in it. If fear of differences and trying are the climate, mood, and prevailing atmosphere of the school, the new 114 generation will be handicapped in dealing with the remain- ing decades of future shock. If the attitude that people can't be different is taught by the behavior of the educa- tional institutions, they can expect conflict, and escalat- ing confrontation experiences with students. If students do not learn the concept of choice in the schools, they will likely fall prey to institutions and groups that will attempt to eliminate choice in their adult lives. The opportunity of choices is in harmony with the nature of the human mind. One reason change has occurred so slowly and inef- ficiently in the public schools is because of the auto- cratic nature of the usual change process used by institu- tional hierarchies. When someone in government, a state board of education, or a local administrator develops the financial and autocratic resources for a change in program and curriculum, it is often imposed on a school staff. A few hours of in-service training are scheduled and the change is expected to occur. But people don't change this easily. Change is both external and internal. If the beliefs that govern one's behavior do not change, even though a procedure has, change will not occur and . {1.1001 1!. ill. ll Elli .llnll‘ 115 administrators must not be so barbaric as to try to force someone to change their beliefs. Beliefs and attitudes cannot be legislated by a court or a legislature. The approach of options and learning alternatives in schools is an approach to change. Something different, or experimental, can exist with support without threat to what already exists. The new and the usual can function side-by-side. Isn't this the way change occurs in the field of technology? Don't the new cars use the same roads as last year's models? Do we automatically require everyone owning last year's television set to junk it when this year's new and improved model comes into the showrooms? Everything new on the market doesn't make everything old bad. But new things are encouraged and allowed to exist along with the old. The organizational structure of alternatives in the public schools is a realistic and equatable approach to today's societal diversity and a way of assimilating new ideas and prac- tices in education. New approaches can be tried without threatening last year's programs and in the process, the philosophy of democracy will be served. 116 Choice is a natural national heritage which seems to have become suspect by many of our prominent educational and political leaders. The practice of choice in public education would be in harmony with our democratic heritage, the pluralistic nature of our society, and the need for community involvement in public education. This study highly recommends adoption of the oppor- tunity for alternatives in people's lives, starting with their first school experiences. With this as a model in early life, the idea of choice may not be so hard to accept in the future. Some Finalgguestions There are a few important questions this study does not answer and can be an impetus for further study. 1. How greatly does a school effect a person's life- learning style? 2. How do students, after spending three years in an "A," "B," or “C" environment on the middle school level, differ in life-learning styles as Juniors 117 and Seniors in high school and after high school graduation? What would be the results of a K-12 school program that encouraged optional learning environments that had distinctive philosophical and operational differences? Can the life-learning styles alternatives qffered to the community by way of private and parochial schools be incorporated into the public school institution? Does the practice of life-learning environments when all conducted within one institution promote segregation, peaceful co-existence, or integration? APPENDICES APPENDIX A LETTERS TO PARENTS KINAWA MIDDLE SCHOOL I OKEMOS, MICHIGAN 48862 OFFICE TELEPHONE 349-9220 GUIDANCE TELEPHONE 349-3500 April 27, 1973 Dear Parent and Student: The goal of providing learning alternatives for children creates a need for additional information from you. The kind of information we need centers around the type of classroom environment in which you prefer your child to be placed. There are 850 students who must be scheduled. we will try our best to give all children their preferences. In the past, we have been very successful in arranging student schedules to meet their choices. Keeping in mind that this is an opportunity to indicate a preference of learning environments for your child, we would like you (parent and student) to complete the learning environment sheet and return it signed with the course elective sheet. If parents and/or students have questions regarding Kinawa instruc- tional offerings, please call or visit the Guidance Office. The number to call is 349-3500. Remember that orientation for parents of present 6th and 7th graders will be held Wednesday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m, in the Kinawa Auditorium. Staff members will be available to talk with you. We look forward to meeting with you. Sincerely, Glen K. Gerard Principal 118 119 DEAR FIFTH GRADE PARENT : The middle school provides different types of classroom settings for children. The opportunity is provided for you and your child to select the "learning environment" which seems most appropriate. Listed below are the three general learning environments which we pro- vide. Please rank order the learning environments below according to your preference (1,2,3). The student makes most of the decisions regarding what is learned, how, and when it is learned. Student self-evaluation is used to assess learning. ____ Student and teacher share the responsibility for making decisions about what is learned and how, when, and where it is learned. Student evaluation is also a shared process between teacher and student. The teacher makes nearly all of the decisions about what is learned and also how, where, and when it is learned. Student evaluation is carried out predominantly by the teacher. No preference. These are different approaches used at Kinawa to cover the courses of Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies. Please indicate_your lst and 2nd preferences of the four (4) approaches listed below. Sixth, Seventh, Eighth Grade Interdisciplinary Block (Two Teacher Team) School-Within-ArSchool (SAW-S) Self-Contained by Subject (Regular Hourly Schedule) Language Arts-Social Studies Team Parent Signature Student's Name Please return this sheet along with the course selection sheet to the Guidance Office by May 31, 1973. 120 (STUDENT NAME) (PRESENT GRADE) Kinawa Middle School students and their parents have the opportunity to indicate preferences for learning environments and program. Please rank order the learning environments below according to your preference (1,2,3). The student makes most of the decisions regarding what is learned, how, and when it is learned. Student self—evaluation is used to assess learning. ____.Student and teacher share the responsibility for making decisions about what is learned and how} when, and where it is learned. Student evaluation is also a shared process between teacher and student. The teacher makes nearly all of the decisions about what is learned and also how, where, and when it is learned. Student evaluation is carried out predominantly by the teacher. No preference. There are different teaching approaches used at Kinawa to cover the courses of Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies. Please indicate your 1st and 2nd preferences of the five (5) approaches listed below. Seventh Grade Interdisciplinary Block (Four Teacher Team) Eighth Grade Block (Four Teacher Team) Sixth, Seventh, Eighth Grade Interdisciplinary Block (Two Teacher Team) School-Within-A-School (S-W-S) Self-Contained by Subject (Regular Hourly Schedule) PARENT SIGNATURE Please return this sheet along with the course selection sheet to the Guidance Office by May 11, 1973. APPENDIX B PHILOSOPHY OF THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS APPENDIX B PHILOSOPHY OF THE OKEMOS PUBLIC SCHOOLS The existence of a democratic society is dependent upon an educated, informed, and actively participating electorate. The democratic ideal assumes the inherent worth of every individual, his right to strive for the fullest possible achievement of his potential, and the neces- sity of cooperating with others for the achievement of society's poten- tial. As we progress toward turning our idealism into reality, the Okemos Public Schools find themselves charged with meeting a wide di- versity of educational needs and aptitudes in children and young people. Furthermore, we face greater challenges than ever before in preparing our youth to live in an increasingly pluralistic, complex, and rapidly changing society. The unifying purpose of this educational task is the development of rational, creative and critical thinking within a meaningful body of knowledge. This is the central purpose to which the school must be oriented if it is to accomplish either its traditional tasks or those newly accentuated by recent changes in the world. To say that it is central is not to say that it is the sole purpose or in every circum- stance the most important purpose, but that it must be a pervasive concern in the work of the school. Many agencies contribute to achiev- ing educational objectives, but this particular objective will not be generally attained unless the school focuses on it. The ultimate ends of education will be best served by providing, to the fullest extent possible, an understanding of man's most significant deeds and thoughts and the nature of the physical world in which he must exist. From such understanding, a student can develop a sense of where we came from so that he can better judge where he is, where he is going, and why. we recognize that the school as part of the larger society, is itself a social system which provides intellectual, social, and physical stimu- lation. The environment of the school, the style and manner in which it operates, is one of the key elements in helping the child learn 121 122 about his society and how to participate in and contribute to that society. It follows that, in fulfilling its responsibilities, the Okemos School System.must recognize, respect, and respond to individual differences in children. It must establish a climate that enables the child to develop a positive and realistic self-image and which is conducive to his physical and emotional well-being, with particular recognition of the interdependence of a sense of self-worth with knowledge and skill acquisition. It must emphasize many kinds of talent and the varied ways in which individual;potentialities may be realized. To this end our schools should provide planned options and alternatives in teach— ing styles, learning environments and curricula. It is the particular challenge of the Okemos Public Schools to generate and maintain the essential inspiration, integrity and sense of direction so necessary to excellence in education. Our commitment is not to a narrow and exclusive intellectualism, but rather to a program of educa- tion which will stretch the mind and spirit of children. Through their school experiences we expect our children to acquire: l) the basic skills, within a context that does not sacrifice awareness of higher capabilities; 2) the knowledge and qualities of independent thinking that will enable them to operate effectively within our complex demo- cratic society: 3) a recognition of the personal responsibility that must be assumed in order to realize one's potential; 4) a confidence in mankind's ability and courage rationally to solve the problems it faces; and 5) perhaps most important of all, an understanding that one's education is a thing begun but never concluded. ADOPTED NOVEMBER 13, 1972 APPENDIX C SHULMAN REPORT TO OKEMOS BOARD OF EDUCATION 1UPPEEHDIXICI SHULMAN REPORT TO OKEMOS BOARD OF EDUCATION September 13, 1971 Last year the "School Within a School" was instituted at the Kinawa Middle School to give a few students from the study body an opportunity to participate in this program. As the program progressed through the year it was necessary to make some close analysis, and Dr. Lee Shulman, a member of the Okemos Community, along with his students have spent a great deal of time in the evaluation of this program. Dr. Shulman, Rick Steggins, and Celia Guro presented the following evaluation of the “School Within a School“ The following presentation, for the most part, is a verbatim report by Dr. Shulman and his two assistants. About a month ago the staff met with the faculty of the school. We spent about three hours and presented statistical data, however, we will not go into that phase. Time was a detriment, so some qualifications will have to be made. Dr. Shulman indicated it was impossible for him to do this alone, so I called upon graduate students and some post graduate students to help. I have two of my assistants with me, tonight, they are Richard Steggins, as coordinator, and Celia Guro. The Only area that I would judge was the most lacking was the parent questionnaire. However, as it turned out this proved helpful because Celia Guro was conducting systematic interviews on parents and students. The conducting of an evaluation study like this is not a very simple matter. It is comparable to a drug study. The kind you might do in a pharmaceutical house, where you are trying to develop a new antibiotic in a field where other antibiotics already exist. we already had a middle school, doing reasonably well, with a few complaints, but you always have complaints about schools. 123 124 The question was could an alternative be created that would meet the needs of some individuals whose needs were not at least being opti- mally met by the existing program: and at the same time, without any substantial detriment in quality in respect to the kinds of goals that the regular program was achieving. The analogy would be trying to create a new kind of antibiotic, that would not only do what existing antibiotics would do, but let's say to be effective with people who are sensitive to antibiotics. Possibly who have some side effects, or who do not simply enjoy taking the other antibiotics, for whatever reason. So, we were not looking to demonstrate that one program was superior to the other, though if we could demonstrate that it would be quite interesting. we were also looking to demonstrate that there were no deficiencies in one program with respect to another. That was the general strategy of our research; another important thing to remember is the matter of cost. It was not only a matter if this program could be conducted as well but at no additional expenditure of revenue. Tue problems that we had to deal with. l) The objectives of this program. There was a list of 16 objectives to the program. We found, as we usually do, initially difficult to interpret, in general somewhat vague. Let me point out that this is not a unique difficulty of the "School Within a School" program, because if you went to a regular school program and asked for a specific detailed set of objectives you would probably find a very vague and non-detailed list there as well. I think that this is a problem.with the general school program, and one also with the "School Within a School" type program, that educators will have to do something about soon. We spent our initial efforts working mainly with the "School Within a School" staff, getting clarification of what their major objectives were, coming to some agreement with them on what would be appropriate evidence for the achievement of these objectives, and then we proceeded to gather the data. Now there were some methodological problems. The regular school program emphasizes the achievement of intellectual objectives of subject matter competence, and this happens to be an area where the field of educa- tional measurement has made pretty good progress. The problem of mea- suring the attainment of intellectual skills is not a very tough one. .125 The "S.WQS.“ program in contract was a program emphasizing that social, emotional and attitudinal changes as objectives. And simply the field of educational and psychological measurement in this area is not as well advanced so we had to work in that field with less sensitive in- struments and often with instruments that in retrospect that we were not pleased with. Finally, it has to be remembered as Celia and Rick go over this program that this is an evaluation study. It is not a piece of general research. What that means is that it was a study of a particular program, at a particular point in time conducted by three teachers for a particular group of students. The results are relevant to that particular situa- tion. You cannot generalize from these results that all such programs, under all possible conditions will have similar effects. It remains, and I will expand a little more on this after Celia and Rick are fin- ished, a constant recurring problem of quality control, to see whether what worked once, or what failed once, will continue to have the same impact. To take another analogy, the fact that one lot of canned goods is free from.botulism does not mean the next will be, and you have all had the experience of eating in.a restaurant and find it marvelous . eating once, and all they have to do is to change the chef when you go back and the same situation remains intolerable. Please keep that caveat in mind. This is a situation specific kind of evaluation. What we are going to talk about first will be the data that Mrs. Celia Guro gathered in which she interviewed, as she will describe, samples of students, faculty, and parents. We will follow her description of data with a report of Mr. Steggins on the test evaluation, both in the cognitive area and the attitudinal area. Celia I will ask you to begin, Rick will you pick up when she finishes. I interviewed seven different types of groups that I felt would have some kind of impact as far as their attitudes on SWS. First of course were students in the S.W.S. Then I tried to get their corresponding parents of each of these students, and did for the most part. Then I interviewed students who had dropped out of S.W.S. and again tried to get the same consistency of their parents. Then I interviewed teachers at the Middle School that were not involved with S.W.S., and adminis- trators and the three counselors working in the Middle School at that time. In addition to the interviews I felt that I should be observing S.W.S., so fromearch to June was in S.W.S. probably once or twice a week. 126 In general, talking about students first. All three samples of stu- dents felt that when they defined S.w.S. saw it as an independent learning situation, where the responsibility fer the learning rested mostly on the child, and they saw the teacher as a guide. All three samples would mean "School Within a School" students, students who dropped out of S.W.S. and the third group which I forgot to mention, I also interviewed students who were in the regular school also. So all three felt that way. All three samples of students saw the freedom in s.w;s. as something positive. They defined this freedom as freedom from the teacher oriented classroom where the child does pretty much what the teacher wants him to do without very little choice and with very little choice as far as the activities and as far as time spent. One thing that was found specifically, now in School Within A School is that in School Within a School there are actually different schools within a school, because children act differently. For instance, one group of children if you looked at them and did not realize they were in the "School Within a School" might say okay, that is a traditional classroom what would they be doing in their math, going to a teacher to ask them.for help. Some of the students might not even be there, they might be on field trips, somebody else might be having a discus- sion, so we did find there were different activities in the S.W.S. Most of the students interviewed said that they enjoyed school more than they had at any other time previously, and they did attribute this to S.W.S. that means the atmosphere created there. All children said they enjoyed having three teachers because this gave them a choice that they could go to whichever one they wanted. It was in- teresting that students in the "School Within a School" seemed to define learning differently. Some defined it very traditionally, as far as book learning, or whatever the teacher said. Others encome passed the learning definition with an interpersonal relationship and self insight and the learning of more how to get along with people. Most of the children that I interviewed that were in S.W.S. did say there was a period of adjustment for them: a week, two weeks, or three weeks. They said whatever happened though after that they became much happier, but it did take a while to feel more at ease in S.W.S. and most of them trributed this to the fact that before they had been accustomed to teachers telling them what to do and here now were told they were on their own and didn't quite know what to do. Now interviewing students who left S.W.S. The main unhappiness with students who left S.W.S. seems to be they felt their inability to function without more direction from the teachers. The two reasons 127 they gave for leaving S.W.S. was first, that their parents were very concerned that they weren't achieving enough academically, and they said that a lot of this evidence that parents used as evidence you are not bringing enough homework so the parents asked them what is going on. Second reason why they left was that they didn't know where they were in relationship to others, and were afraid that the longer they stayed in S.WkS. they might get behind. It is also interesting that a lot of the 6th graders who dropped out dropped out for the simple reason they wanted to know what the Middle School was like, it was their first con- tact with the Middle School, and their first contact therefore, was S.W.S.; if they were in S.W.S., and because they hadn't had a chance to see the regular school and change classes and they wondered what that was like, and others left because of friends. There were 14 out of 86 who decided to leave the program at some time during the year. When I asked them if they felt they were sorry for the time they spent in S.WQS. and most of them felt they had gained. The things they gained were got along better with people, and just the idea that may be they did need more supervision, that made them happy to be back in regular school. Now going to the students in the regular school that I interviewed. Most of these when asked if they would like to try S.WIS. said yes they would like to try it. When I asked them if they saw S.W.S. students as different in any way than they in the regular school, they said the only characteristic that they though was per- sonality. These students might be more independent. They felt that students in s.w;s. probably did different types of activities than they did because they felt these students were more free than they. But they probably learned the same kinds of things, but did these things differently. Now to talk about the parents I interviewed. I compressed both sets of parents of students who had dropped out, and those who had students in S.W.S. as far as their positive and negative feelings were concerned. Many times these feelings would overlap, but even if a parent was very excited about S.W.S. his negative comments often the same kind of nega- tive comments and concerns that the other parents from the other sample did have. I did not interview parents from students of the regular school becaue as I went around the community and heard some of the rumors that had been going around I began to call some parents, and they said gee I haven't heard anything about it, some had heard from friends, so it became more of a telephone thing. As far as positive 128 comments from parents the most positive aspects seem to be in the socioemotional realm of the program. Those parents were the happiest when they saw that their children were relating. Some of the comments were that their children seem to like themselves better and because they seem.to like themselves better they were more accepting of others. Parents commented that children had less headaches than before. Other parents commented on the kinds of relationships that they thought were forming in S.W.S. not as far as boy-girl relationships, but they saw it as friends. Parents liked the idea of their children learning how to make their own decisions. They liked the idea of having three teachers available to their children. Negative comments, mostly in the field of academic achievement and feedback. Many parents were concerned that the children were not being prepared academically for high school. They felt the teachers were not guiding or directing their children enough in the academic field. As far as feedback was concerned they were concerned about some of the feedback that they were getting that Johnny was doing rather well, but wanted to know how he was doing in relationship with other people and as far as grades. They were concerned about the quality of the feed- back. Other parents felt that the only way they could get feedback was to ask-for it, and the only way the child could get feedback was to ask for this and they felt that some of the children were too shy to do this. As far as teachers and administrators were concerned, I grouped them together as far as their positive and negative feelings were concerned. Negatively they felt that not enough communication of activities were being circulated. They felt that at times a difference in how S.W.S. students were treated in comparison with students in the regular school. They questioned if students in S.W.S. were dealing with the idea of being open to people who were different than themselves. They felt that perhaps there was not enough material around to motivate children, but they also said that perhaps this was a factor of finance. Some people were concerned that if this was a program to teach and make decisions, and to help pe0p1e do this they were concerned if children were dealing with the consequences of their behavior. They felt that at times these children were told if you do such and such you better watch out because this might happen, and if they did do such and such that this did not happen. Positive points, they felt that it was really good that there was a (finance at Kinawa to have this educational Opportunity. They felt it ‘helped them as teachers. 129 People who had observed said they noticed that some of the students they felt that the students they had observed in S.W.S. were gradually coming to more self-responsibility so they talked more about individual cases. They also said that as they observed the students in S.W.S. that they seemed to be tied to the very traditional ways of learning. They would run to a typical sixth grade book, or a typical seventh grade book to get an answer, or ask the teacher; but as the year went on they began to rely more and more on individual students as resource people and to use university people as resource people. They also said that they saw some creative activities coming out of S.W.S. such as movies and some papers that were written. They felt that some people would only look at that and say that that is only from a movie, without realizing that socio-emotional and intellectual skills were involved. Mr. Stebbins continued, in the interest of brevity I have tried to con- dense some of the comments from all the piles of data that we were able to collect about this program. I have summarized them in several areas. The first group having to do with the babkground of the students in- volved in the program, as compared with those who were not in the pro- gramm A few brief comments on the achievement test data. From there we will go to an assessment of the learning environment from two dif- ferent directions that we tried to do. Following that we will go into the social structure of S.W.S. as compared to the rest of the school. Finally, a few comments on the measures of creativity and self concept and just a brief comment on the information that we tried to get, some- what unsuccessfully from the questionnaires that we sent out. A review of the background of the SWS students and a representative group of students not in SW8 established the following point; 1. SWS students are representative of the rest of the school in terms of age at all three grade levels. 2. Those students who chose the SWS program had spent the same number of years in the Okemos school system on the average as had their non-SW8 counterparts. 3. Parents of children in SW8 have attained a higher educational level overall than have their non-SWS counterparts. 4. Measures of verbal and non-verbal IQ reveal no difference between students within and outside the program. 130 5. The number of absences for both the SWS group and the group repre- senting the rest of the school were equivalent and were not dif- ferent from the school average. The background descriptions also were formulated to include achievement test scores for tests taken prior to the beginning of SWS, and these reveal no differences in prior achievement of the SWS group and the rest of the school. In order to follow this up the Stanford Achievement Test Battery was administered this past spring to both groups and it demonstrated that there were no differences in the rate of growth be- tween the two groups. In fact, patterns of scores across subjects of the SAT revealed in the early administration were reproduced in the later testing. There were two attempts made to assess the learning environment of SWS as compared with the rest of the school, one measuring the student's perceptions of their learning environment and the other a more objec- tive set of systematic classroom observations. Both reveal differences between the SWS setting and other classrooms in the building. Students within SWS compared with those outside saw their program as less con- cerned with speed and generating less friction, less favoritism and less cliqueness. When students outside SWS rated the SWS environment they saw it in much the same way as did the students in the program. However, SWS students perceived their program as vastly different than their perceptions of the other programs in the school. Objective ob- servations of classrooms demonstrated that SWS spends less time on traditional classroom activities and more time in social activities. In addition SWS students seem to demonstrate more mobility within the building than those in other classrooms. Assessment of the social structures of the two groups via sociometry led to the conclusion that the students seen as most attractive by their peers in SW8 are best described as academically oriented and are active creative leaders. Outside SWS, on the other hand, the most popular student is defined socially in terms of appearance and friend- liness. Measures of curiosity, creativity and self concept in various dimen- sions were measured and revealed no differences between the groups. This phase of the evaluation suffered severely due to the lack of information about the students at the beginning of the program. 131 Finally, an attempt was made to assess the attitudes and feelings of parents, teachers, and administrators toward the SWS program in rela- tion to the school. An oversight in the administration of the ques- tionnaire tended to c16ud the results and make any conclusions very tentative at best. It was clear however that outside the program there was very little knowledge of what was in fact occurring within the program. Dr. Shulman, I would like to preface my concluding remarks and recom- mendations before we open it up to questions from the Board. First of all, a couple of comments that were reported by Celia Guro and Rick. we had anticipated in finding some striking differences between kids who were in the program.and those were not. As all of us living in Okemos know that the rumor that spread about the composition of kids in SW8 were incredible. I personally, in places like Meijers and other major community places heard everything from SWS is an elite program in which only the highest IQ kids in Okemos are allowed to participate, all the way to it is a dumping ground of kids that nobody else wants to teach. Well, the psychology of rumor is I suppose, a subject matter all of its own, and won't worry about that for a moment. We found no evidence supporting either rumor as Rick summarized there were no differences in intelligence level as measured by the Stanford intelligence test in kids in the program and outside the program. There were no particular differences but there were patterns that meant one could interpret carefully between their previous achievement levels and the only place that there was any difference that was at all consistent was in the average educational attainment of the parents. Had we had earlier data, which we did not have, on styles, attitudes, values of the kids at the beginning of the year, we might have been able to identify some real differences in general styles of the kids, but it wasn't there. I am sorry we couldn't collect those data because we didn't begin until it was too late. Another interesting thing that happened almost by accident, was the systematic classroom observations that were conducted. They were con- ducted not only in SW8 classrooms, and non-SWS classrooms, but also in the I.M.C. where we are sitting now. One of the findings that inter- ested me most, was the pattern of activity. Namely, with the distri- bution of effort with respect to traditional academic type activity as against social activity, as against thumb twiddling activity. Was 132 almost identical in the I.M.C. and in traditional classrooms, even though the setting was totally different and the degree of active teacher supervision and interaction was totally different. In other words, when kids came here to the I.M.C. they generally came on aca- demic business and carried it out on their own quite seriously. I guess as a kind of parenthetical comment, Mrs. Kinsinger that from her intensive study of once a week, very carefully, and her impression generally, that there was a much higher proportion of SWS kids taking advantage of the I.M.C. than the average. It is quite possible, al- though the SWS kids are spending a lot more time socializing within SW3 as observed by our observer, they were also absent from SWS a lot more, and in other places in the building and that very often was here in the I.M.C . Conclusions and recommendations: One thing that was no secret either to Ken or Joe Bechard when they asked me to direct this activity was that I hold no particular brief for free-schools, or Open classrooms, and I am a skeptic about such things and frankly when I began working on this evaluation I was very skeptical. I am much less skeptical now, and although far from being prepared to deliver a universal endorsement of this type of education for all kids under all conditions I am surely prepared to attest to the following kinds of conclusions. First, of all, there is no evidence that children learn any less in the traditional academic areas during one year in SW8 than they would have in that same year in a regular school program. I am pretty sure about that. I am not prepared to guess what would happen if a child spent many years in such a program. It could work either way. It could make him a better student or a poorer student, but my hunch is if you fol- lowed up a group of kids like that you will find some going both ways. I think we all know from our own experiences that some of our kids are slowed down by a regular classroom and others wouldn't move at all un- less they were prodded to do so. We did not find what we expected to find, many dramatic cases of kids who were doing very poorly before this year, and suddenly changed in achievement as kids who were doing marvellously and suddenly dropped in spite of antidotal communications to the contrary. In other words we looked as we identified our graphs to identify kids who were way off the diagonal who were very different this year than they were in previous years, and in terms of academic achievement they were almost non-existent. Now one thing you have to keep in mind is the ages represented by the Middle School are very volatile to change as the rule rather than the exception. So that if 133 you are going to get change you are likely to get it, whether it is in a special program like SWS, or within a regular school program as with the rest of the school. 80 find a traumatic change and attributing it to SWS. For many of them it was a more enjoyable experience and for many of them this was in contrast to their prior experience. As I said earlier given the criterion of no particular detriment some felt satis— faction and no increase in cost. I would judge that surely on the basis of those data the program.had surely on the basis of those data the program had surely justified its existence. Now a couple of ' recommendations. 1. That I would suggest the Okemos System to continue the kind of experimental innovation attitude that has characterized this system for many years, especially in the recent years. At the same time I would hepe that this experimental attitude be accompanied all the time, not just on this occasion by sense of accountability. It is in this marriage of innovativeness and accountability that truly excellent school programs can be maintained. Innovativeness without accounta- bility, I think, is reckless. Accountability without experimentation is just thought. We can't afford either. We have to continue experi- menting and innovating, because if there is anything that is very clear it is that nothing is remaining the same. We can't compare the problems of teaching these children in 1971 with the period befbre the.flood, when most of us parents were educated, or even when their younger sib- lings were educated; may be just five or six years ago. Kids are chang- ing, the knowledge we are communicating to these kids is changing, teachers are changing, society is changing; we have to remain loose and be prepared to modify programs all the time. I think that the precedent set by the request for an evaluation assistance in this in- stance is one that ought to be repeated with frequency. SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Need to increase the feedback that the SWS staff gave, both the students and to parents. I have had occasion to watch the response to this recommendation, as it was made long before we had even begun to analyze the data: and I have reason to believe that things began to change even as early as mid-spring. They are continuing to change as I understand from the SWS staff this fall, as far as increasing the kind of feedback, like how as I doing? Where am I doing well? Where am.I doing poorly? Kind of a diagnostic feedback both to the students and to their parents. It was clearly an area that needed improvement, and is one that we recommended be improved. 134 2. It was very clear that many kids though they knew, or their parents knew, how they would do in a less structured system, but as it turned out there were TA out of 86 who had misjudged. My hunch is, there is also a number of kids who had judged prior to the experience that they wouldn't be able to flourish in that sort of system and so never even tried it. I would recommend that an Opportunity be created for a kind of trial where all kids might get a chance in a less structured setting, maybe for just a week or two. Just to try themselves out and I would envision no particular loss of academic achievement, and possibly a great deal of personal growth for the kid to get some better feelings for how he worked under different kinds of structure. 3. That if you are going to do evaluations of this sort, and you are going to do them all the time, as I said before, you have got to, you can't depend on university faculty members doing it in spare time, with slave labor, however well motivated and unrewarded. It doesn't work as well. I think that if this school system takes experimentation and innovation seriously, as I think it does, then it had better take ac- countability seriously, and at somewhere along the line have got to carve out on our permanent staff of the Okemos schools, a position, an individual who is responsible for coordinating evaluation efforts. I think this is a high priority item. I don't think that we should depend on John Porter in the State Department of Education to evaluate our school district using criteria set downtown. we would not be pleased simply letting someone downtown decide what our criteria ought to be for the evaluating of our programs then doing it. The only way that we make sure that that does not happen by seeing to it that we take the respon- sibility for quality control of our programs first. Because if we don't, we are going to have some problems, I think. What this means is giving some very careful attention to budget and staff allocation, and trying to find a place for a permanent quality control decision, if you will. 4. Another recommendation that is really a kind of observation, I kept on saying if the program could be conducted at no additional cost. The program is being conducted at no additional cost. In fact that there were times when I was convinced it could be conducted at a lower cost. Let's remember that not all programs in schools cost the same amount. We take it for granted for example, that science programs cost a great deal more than social studies programs. The additional equipment that they need, science teachers have higher degrees, because of special set- ups in classrooms. It may turn out that programs like these to be super special, are in fact going to need a higher expenditure. An expenditure per pupil more like in teaching science and less like teaching English. I don't think that we have to slavishly have to hold on that every 135 program must cost the same. Different programs are sometimes going to cost more, and we as citizens of the community have to decide are they worth more to us, and if they are we will have to be prepared to pay it. Finally, I thought Ken and his colleagues were absolutely brilliant in the way they approached my sense of responsibility as a citizen of the community. It was an example of a combination of seduction and work- ing on guilt feelings as best; he also happened to pick the year when my oldest child entered first grade. I think we should do this more systematically, as I recommended to Ken, that if I am to be exploited let me be joined by fellow exploiters. APPENDIX D RESULTS OF IOWA TEST OF BASIC SKILLS RESULTS OF IOWA TEST OF BASIC SKILLS APPENDIX Name Kirk W. "C" Percentile 1969 1973 Vocabulary 97 88 Reding Comprehen. 96 84 Spelling 72 82 Capitalization 87 53 Punctuation 62 62 Usage 79 78 Map Reading 99 81 Graphs 91 95 Reference Materials 90 94 Arith. Concepts 94 88 Arith. Reasoning 93 79 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 136 D 66 65 53 58 49 55 68 58 59 62 60 T Band 1969 72 71 59 64 57 61 78 68 67 70 68 1973 59 57 56 48 49 54 55 63 63 59 54 65 63 62 54 57 62 63 71 69 64 62 Name ‘Josie F. "C" Percentile 1969 1973 Vbcabulary 87 81 Reading Comprehen. 92 66 Spelling 85 77 Capitalization 67 72 Punctuation 67 85 Usage 84 98 Map Reading 26 1 Graphs 79 62 Reference Materials 75 58 Arith. Concepts 79 49 Arith. Reasoning 80 47 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 137 59 62 58 52 52 58 42 56 55 56 56 T Band 1969 63 66 62 56 56 62 46 60 59 60 60 1973 54 51 54 53 56 67 23 49 49 47 45 60 57 60 59 64 75 31 57 55 53 53 Name Cindy E. Vocabulary Reading Comprehen. Spelling Capitalization Punctuation Usage Map Reading Graphs Reference Materials Arith. Concepts Arith. Reasoning 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 138 Percentile 1969 1973 25 34 16 38 29 27 27 37 2 52 17 31 49 46 47 56 26 25 4 49 35 92 41 38 43 42 27 38 48 47 42 30 44 T Band 1969 45 42 47 46 31 42 52 51 46 34 48 1973 43 44 41 44 46 41 45 47 40 47 60 49 50 47 50 54 49 53 55 46 53 68 Name ' Paul S. Percentile 1969 1973 Vocabulary 97 88 Reading Comprehen. 96. 84 Spelling 72 82 Capitalization 87 53 Punctuation 62 62 Usage 79 78 Map Reading 99 81 Graphs 91 95 Reference Materials 90 94 Arith. Concepts 94 88 Arith. Reasoning 93 79 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 139 66 65 53 58 49 55 68 58 59 62 60 T Band 1969 72 71 59 64 57 61 78 68 67 70 68 1973 59 57 56 48 49 54 55 63 63 59 54 65 63 62 54 57 62 63 71 69 64 62 Name Beth H. "C" Percentile 1969 1973 VOcabulary 3 7 Reading Comprehen. 8 14 Spelling 13 5 Capitalization 3 2 Punctuation 31 9 Usage 3 56 Map Reading 9 21 Graphs 7 1 Reference Materials 4 43 Arith. Concepts 10 1 Arith. Reasoning 19 36 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 140 28 33 35 28 41 28 31 30 28 33 37 T Band 1969 34 39 41 34 49 34 41 40 36 41 45 1973 32 36 30 26 32 47 38 23 45 24 43 38 42 36 32 40 55 46 31 51 30 51 Name Alison W. "C" Percentage 1969 1973 vecabulary 87 71 Reading Comprehen. 81 77 Spelling 87 74 Capitalization 37 76 Punctuation 79 80 Usage 76 82 Map Reading 89 67 Graphs 63 56 Reference Materials 98 79 Arith. Concepts 72 53 Arith. Reasoning 56 62 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 141 59 57 59 45 56 55 60 51 69 54 50 T Band 1969 63 61 63 49 60 59 64 55 73 58 54 1973 52 54 53 54 54 55 50 47 55 48 49 58 60 59 60 62 63 58 55 61 54 57 Name Sara W. "C" Percentile 1969 1973 Vbcabulary 87 65 Reading Comprehen. 45 36 Spelling 21 44 Capitalization 21 30 Punctuation 43 48 Usage 92 66 Map Reading 77 27 Graphs 79 95 Reference Materials 49 22 Arith. Concepts 44 16 Arith. Reasoning 28 47 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 142 59 47 4O 40 46 62 55 56 48 47 42 T Band 1969 63 51 44 44 50 66 59 60 52 51 46 1973 51 44 46 42 46 50 40 63 39 37 45 57 50 52 48 54 58 48 71 45 43 53 143 Name Susan L. “C" Percentile 1969 1973 Vocabulary 90 -- Reading Comprehen. 77 77 Spelling 89 74 Capitalization 83 95 Punctuation 94 -- Usage 89 95 Map Reading 89 67 Graphs 95 95 Reference Materials 91 -- Arith. Concepts 87 88 Arith. Reasoning 91 96 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 61 55 60 58 64‘ 60 60 65 61 59 61 T Band 1969 65 59 64 62 68 64 64 69 65 63 65 1973 54 53 64 63 50 63 59 64 60 59 70 71 58 71 65 72 Name Tim C. "C" Percentile 1969 1973 Vbcabulary 94 94 Reading Comprehen. 96 81 Spelling 48 74 Capitalization 46 30 Punctuation 38 43 Usage 63 62 Map Reading 62 54 Graphs 55 78 Reference Materials 52 72 Arith. Concepts 39 19 Arith. Reasoning 44 36 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 144 64 66 48 47 45 51 51 49 49 43 47 T Band 1969 68 70 52 51 49 55 55 53 53 47 51 1973 63 56 53 42 44 49 47 54 53 38 43 69 62 59 48 52 57 55 62 59 44 51 145 Name Lisa B. "C"- Percentile 1969 1973 Vocabulary 99 91 Reading Comprehen. 97 85 Spelling 85 70 Capitalization 29 60 Punctuation 92 43 Usage 99 74 Map Reading 90 76 Graphs 98 88 Reference Materials 87 91 Arith. Concepts 75 56 Arith. Reasoning 79 62 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 70 66 57 42 60 70 58 66 57 53 54 T Band 1969 76 72 63 48 68 76 68 76 65 61 62 1973 60 57 52 49 44 52 53 58 60 48 49 66 63 58 55 52 60 61 66 66 54 57 146 Name Blair W. "B" Percentile T Band 1969 1973 1969 Vocabulary 87 55 59 63 Reading Comprehen. 79 64 56 60 Spelling 53 77 49 53 Capitalization 37 37 45 49 Punctuation 13 34 37 41 Usage 92 56 62 66 Map Reading 97 59 67 71 Graphs 68 45 53 57 Reference Materials 5 62 32 36 Arith. Concepts 47 49 47 51 Arith. Reasoning 35 75 44 48 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 1973 48 50 54 44 42 47 48 45 50 47 53 54 56 6O 50 50 55 56 53 56 53 61 147 Name Carol "A" Percentile 1969 1973 vecabulary 58 65 Reading Comprehen. 66 53 Spelling 95 7O Capitalization 76 83 Punctuation 96 88 Usage 76 82 Map Reading 86 94 Graphs 75 97 Reference Materials 95 95 Arith. Concepts 64 72 Arith. Reasoning 44 42 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 1969 50 52 65 55 66 55 59 55 65 52 47 T Band 54 56 69 59 70 59 63 59 69 56 51 1973 51 48 52 56 58 55 62 65 64 53 44 57 54 58 62 66 63 70 73 70 59 52 148 Name Jeffrey S. "A" Percentile 1969 1973 VOcabulary 58 38 Reading Comprehen. 47 16 Spelling 53 31 Capitalization 56 68 Punctuation 2 52 Usage 27 11 Map Reading 49 27 Graphs 55 32 Reference Materials 29 14 Arith. Concepts 17 4 Arith. Reasoning 28 58 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 50 47 49 50 27 42 48 49 43 38 42 T Band 1969 54 51 53 54 31 46 52 53 47 42 46 1973 44 37 42 52 46 33 40 41 36 29 48 50 43 48 58 54 41 48 49 42 35 56 Name Pat_L. R. Vbcabulary Reading Comprehen. Spelling Capitalization Punctuation Usage Map Reading Graphs Reference Materials Arith. Concepts Arith. Reasoning 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 149 Percentile 1969 1973 39 53 47 26 21 24 50 25 56 28 47 17 49 46 84 62 58 33 38 13 35 53 45 47 40 48 50 47 48 58 50 45 44 T Band 1969 49 51 44 52 54 51 52 62 54 49 48 1973 48 41 40 40 40 36 45 49 43 35 47 54 47 46 46 44 44 53 57 49 41 55 150 Name Don R. "A" Percentile 1969 1973 Vocabulary 87 88 Reading Comprehen. 86 72 Spelling 99 79 Capitalization 99 95 Punctuation 98 91 Usage 95 74 Map Reading 97 71 Graphs 99 78 Reference Materilas 95 89 Arith. Concepts 94 80 Arith. Reasoning 88 75 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 59 59 71 71 69 65 67 71 65 64 60 T Band 1969 63 63 75 75 73 69 71 75 69 68 64 1973 59 53 55 64 59 52 51 54 59 55 53 65 59 61 70 67 60 59 62 65 61 61 151 Name Karen Sue M. "A" Percentile 1969 1973 Vbcabulary 84 71 Reading Comprehen. 75 82 Spelling 38 27 Capitalization 86 57 Punctuation 85 66 Usage 81 56 Map Reading 83 73 Graphs 79 68 Reference Mateirals 83 70 Arith. Concepts 55 66 Arith. Reasoning 19 83 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 1969 58 55 45 59 58 57 58 56 58 49 39 T Band 62 59 49 63 62 61 62 60 62 53 43 1973 52 5'6 41 49 50 47 52 51 52 51 55 58 62 47 55 58 55 60 59 58 57 63 Name _Roger N. Vbcabulary Reading Comprehen. Spelling Capitalization Punctuation Usage Map Reading Graphs Reference Materials Arith. Concepts Arith. Reasdning 152 "BI! Percentile T Band 1969 1973 1969 99 78 71 75 94 74 64 68 55 52 49 53 83 49 58 62 77 48 55 59 98 66 69 73 95 63 65 69 88 68 60 64 97 54 67 71 55 49 49 53 44 42 47 51 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1973 1973 55 53 47 47 46 50 49 51 48 47 44 61 59 53 53 54 58 57 59 54 53 52 Name Tamra L. D. VOcabulary Reading Comprehen. Spelling Capitalization Punctuation Usage Map Reading Graphs Reference Materials Arith. Concepts Arith. Reasoning 153 "B" Percentile T Band 1969 1973 1969 85 61 57 63 89 49 59 65 68 57 52 58 63 57 50 56 66 76 SO 58 90 66 60 66 66 63 49 59 78 56 53 63 83 72 55 63 69 56 51 59 75 58 53 61 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 1973 50 47 49 49 53 50 49 47 53 48 48 56 53 55 55 61 58 57 55 59 54 56 154 Name Linda J. F. “B" Percentile T Band 1969 1973 1969 1973 VOcabulary 94 75 64 68 54 60 Reading Comprehen. 85 70 58 62 52 58 Spelling 87 82 59 63 56 62 Capitalization 67 93 52 56 61 67 Punctuation 79 94 56 60 62 70 Usage 89 91 60 64 59 67 Map Reading 93 59 63 67 48 56 Graphs 75 83 55 59 55 63 Reference Materials 83 81 58 62 56 62 Arith. Concepts 58 13 50 54 35 41 Arith. Reasoning 28 36 42 46 43 51 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 155 Name Kathy S. B. "B'I Percentile T Band 1969 1973 1969 1973 Vocabulary 58 38 50 54 44 50 Reading Comprehen. 61 41 51 55 45 51 Spelling 55 44 49 53 46 52 Capitalization 32 25 43 47 4O 46 Punctuation 43 34 46 50 42 50 Usage 63 51 51 55 46 54 Map Reading 17 27 38 42 40 48 Graphs 10 26 35 39 4O 48 Reference Materials 49 40 48 52 45 51 Arith. Concepts 38 38 45 49 44 50 Arith. Reasoning 56 18 50 54 37 45 f 1969 test normed in 1964 1973 test normed in 1971 APPENDIX E LEARNING ENVIRONMENT INVENTORY AND SCORE SHEET APPENDIX E LEARNING ENVIRONMENT INVENTORY Directions The purpose of the questions in this booklet is to find out what your class is like. You are asked to give your honest, frank opinions about this class. This is not a "test"; there are no right or wrong answers. We are interested in how you see your class. Your responses will not be shown to anyone without your permission. Members of the class do favors for one another. The books and equipment students need or want are easily available to them in the classroom. There are long periods during which the class does nothing. The class has students with many different interests. Certain students work only with their close friends. The students enjoy their class work. STudents who break the rules are penalized. There is constant bickering among class members. The better students' questions are more sympathetically answered than those of the average students. Interests vary greatly within the group. 156 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 157 A good collection of books and magazines is available in the classroom for students to use. Every member of the class enjoys the same privileges. Most students want their work to be better than their friends' work. P The class has rules to guide its activities. Personal dissatisfaction with the class is too small to be a problem. A student has the chance to get to know all other stu- dents in the class. The work of the class is frequently interrupted when some students have nothing to do. Students cooperate equally with all class members. Many students are dissatisfied with much that the class does. The better students are granted special privileges. Only the good students are given special projects. Class decisions tend to be made by all the students. The students would be proud to show the classroom to a visitor. The pace of the class is rushed. Some students refuse to mix with the rest of the class. Decisions affecting the class tend to be made demo- cratically. Certain students have no respect for other students. Some groups of students work together regardless of what the rest of the class is doing. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 158 Members of the class are personal friends. The class is well organized. Some students are interested in completely different things than other students. Certain students have more influence on the class than others. The room is bright and comfortable. Class members tend to pursue different kinds of problems. There is considerable dissatisfaction with the work of the class. The class is disorganized. Students compete to see who can do the best work. Certain students impose their wishes on the whole class. A few of the class members always try to do better than the others. There are tensions among certain groups of students that tend to interfere with class activities. The class is well organized and efficient. Students feel left out unless they compete with their classmates. Students are asked to follow strict rules. The class is controlled by the actions of a few members who are favored. Each member of the class has as much influence as any other member. The members look forward to coming to class meetings. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. SS. 56. 57. 58. 59. 6o. 61. 62. 63. 64. 159 There are displayes around the room. All students know each other very well. The classroom is too crowded. Students are not in close enough contact to develop likes or dislikes for one another. The class is rather informal and few rules are imposed. There is a recognized right and wrong way of going about class activities. What the class does is determined by all the students. After the class, the students have a sense of satis- faction. Most students cooperate rather than compete with one another. All classroom procedures are well established. Certain students in the class are responsible for petty quarrels. Many class members are confused by what goes on in class. The class is made up of individuals who do not know each other well. The class divides its efforts among several purposes. The class has plenty of time to cover the prescribed amount of work. Students who have past histories of being discipline problems are discriminated against. Students do not have to hurry to finish their work. Certain groups of friends tend to sit together. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 160 There is much competition in the class. Students are well satisfied with the work of the class. A few members of the class have much greater influence than the other members. There is a set of rules for the students to follow. Certain students don't like other students. There is little time for day-dreaming. The class is working toward many different goals. The class members feel rushed to finish their work. Certain students are considered uncooperative. There is enough room for both individual and group work. Each student knows the other members of the class by their first names. The class has difficulty keeping up with its assigned work. There is a great deal of confusion during class meetings. Different students vary a great deal regarding which aspect of the class they are interested in. Most students cooperate equally with other class members. Certain students are favored more than the rest. Certain students stick together in small groups. The course material is covered quickly. There is an undercurrent of feeling among students that tends to pull the class apart. Students seldom compete with one another. 161 LEARNING ENVIRONMENT INVENTORY SCORE SHEET In answering each question go through the following steps: Directions: Read the statement carefully. 1. Think about how well the statement describes the class you are rating. Circle the number that you think best explains how you feel. 2. 3. If you strongly_disagree with the statement, circle space 1. If you disagree with the statement, circle space 3, If you agree with the statement, circle space 3, If you strongly agree with the statement, circle space 4, wound haosouum monm< mmumcmaa omummmao haosoaum momma hamcouum mound mononmfio wmummmao haocouum oouod Samsonum mound monommwo monommwo haosouum 4. 6. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. "i1mmm‘5